Will Raghav Chaddha play Maharashtra in Delhi? Shinde-Pawar’s move with 7 MPs, stir in AAP!

Raghav Chadha Joining BJP: Friday was no less than ‘Black Friday’ for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The resignation of 7 Rajya Sabha MPs including Raghav Chadha and the announcement of merger with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put it not just as defection but as a major crack in the political hold of Arvind Kejriwal.

Now the question is arising whether this is limited only to the MPs changing sides or Raghav Chadha is adopting the same strategy behind the scenes, which was seen in Maharashtra politics with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.

Mathematics of MPs and defection law

Raghav Chadha claims that 7 out of 10 AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha, i.e. more than two-thirds, are with him. Generally this figure is considered sufficient to avoid anti-defection law.

But former Lok Sabha General Secretary P.D.T. Acharya’s opinion is different. According to him, it is necessary to merge not only the parliamentary party but also the “parent party” with some other party. This is where the whole matter becomes complicated.

Will the ‘Maharashtra Model’ be repeated?

Like Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Raghav Chadha’s strategy also seems to be going in the same direction:

• Showing numerical strength – garnering two-thirds support in Rajya Sabha.
• Claim of ‘real party’ – to present the basis of majority in the Election Commission
• Challenging the leadership – If the claim is successful then Kejriwal may become weak

If Raghav Chadha proves that he has the majority in the organization and the elected representatives, then his faction can get the party name and election symbol.

rift in relationships

The distance between Raghav Chadha and Kejriwal increased when Raghav was removed from the post of deputy leader in Rajya Sabha. Raghav says that he was punished for not being a part of wrong decisions. Whereas leaders like Sanjay Singh are calling him a ‘traitor’. Now this dispute has gone beyond ideology and has become a fight for political survival.

What is the strategy going forward?

If Raghav Chadha approaches the Election Commission, the matter may drag on. During this time, until it is decided who is the real party, who will have the right to issue a whip will remain a big question. At the same time, Raghav’s next step may be to get the MLAs of Punjab and Delhi in his favor. If he is successful in this, then it may be difficult for Kejriwal to save his governments.

Also read- Will Gyanesh Kumar become the chair of CEC? 73 MPs took a big step, made serious allegations against the Chief Election Commissioner

This step of Raghav Chadha is not only being considered as defection but also an attempt to gain control over AAP. In the coming time, it will become clear whether Kejriwal is able to handle his party or Raghav Chadha becomes a new political example like the ‘Shinde Model’.