The political landscape in Punjab is shifting rapidly as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faces what could be its most significant internal crisis since taking power. Following the high-profile “political earthquake” just days ago—where Raghav Chadha led a massive breakaway in the Rajya Sabha—senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia now claims that the party’s Lok Sabha presence is the next to crumble.
The Numbers Game: Why Two MPs Matter
The timing of Majithia’s claim is critical due to the mechanics of India’s Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule). In the high-stakes world of parliamentary maneuvers, the math is everything:
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The 2/3rd Rule: To avoid disqualification and keep their seats, a group of defecting legislators must consist of at least two-thirds of their party’s total strength in that House.
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The Math: AAP currently has 3 members in the Lok Sabha (all representing Punjab). If 2 out of those 3 MPs jump ship, they meet the 66.6% threshold required to merge with another party without facing a by-election.
The “Chadha Precedent”
The current rumors are fueled by the successful and shock defection in the Rajya Sabha on April 24, 2026:
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The Split: Raghav Chadha, along with six other MPs—including high-profile names like Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, and Swati Maliwal—merged with the BJP.
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The Reason: Chadha cited a “deviation from principles,” claiming the party he “nurtured with blood and sweat” had become ideologically compromised.
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The Result: AAP’s Rajya Sabha strength was decimated overnight, dropping from 10 members to just 3 (Sanjay Singh, ND Gupta, and Balbir Singh Seechewal).
Current Standing of AAP in Parliament (April 2026)
| House | Original Strength | Current/Post-Defection | Status |
| Rajya Sabha | 10 | 3 | 7 MPs led by Raghav Chadha joined BJP. |
| Lok Sabha | 3 | 1? | Majithia claims 2 are preparing to exit. |
What This Means for Punjab Politics
If Majithia’s claims hold true, AAP’s presence in the national capital would be reduced to a skeleton crew. This comes at a sensitive time for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is already grappling with the optics of the Rajya Sabha split.
The “Kothi Number 50″—Chadha’s former hub in Chandigarh—has become a physical symbol of this rift. Mann and other party loyalists have shifted from shock to offense, openly criticizing the defectors for “betraying” the mandate of the people who put them in power.
While AAP has petitioned the Rajya Sabha Chairman to contest the legality of the first split, a second defection in the Lok Sabha would signal a devastating loss of confidence in the party’s central leadership.
