• Source:JND
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Swati Maliwal: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, who on Friday announced her decision to quit AAP, is set to begin her innings with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Reacting to the merger of seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, including her, Maliwal alleged that the party under its national convener Arvind Kejriwal had strayed from its founding principles and shielded individuals involved in misconduct. Her relationship with AAP had been strained after the assault incident at Kejriwal's residence in May 2024.

Why Did Maliwal Wait For Around Two Years To Exit From AAP?

It was Rajya Sabha membership that stopped her from leaving the AAP despite growing bitterness against her in the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. If she had quit the party, she would have lost her MP post under the Anti-Defection Law. The AAP also did not expel her and continued to swallow a bitter pill because her membership would have remained intact, even after removal from the party.

What Law Says

The Anti-Defection Law says that a Member of Parliament (MP) does not automatically lose their seat if he/she is expelled by the party. An MP is disqualified if a member voluntarily gives up membership or votes against the party.

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Why Has Maliwal Now Quit AAP?

Laliwal left the party along with six other AAP MPs - Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, and Vikram Sahney. AAP has 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, out of which seven quit the party that holds 2/3rd of the total party strength in the Upper House. If 2/3 MPs leave the party, the Anti-Defection Law does not apply. It means that Maliwal will remain as an MP even after joining the BJP. Maliwal is an MP from Delhi, and her tenure lasts until 2030.

Maliwal's First Reaction After Leaving AAP

"In 2006, I left my job to choose the path of national service. Through the RTI movement, the Anna movement, the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party, and 8 years of dedicated work in the Delhi Women's Commission, I contributed with complete honesty and devotion at every stage," she wrote on X.

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"With great sorrow today, I must say that the principles, values, and resolve for honest politics with which we began this journey have been abandoned by Arvind Kejriwal ji and, at his behest, the entire Aam Aadmi Party. At his residence, on his signal, I was brutally beaten and treated with utmost indecency. To protect his goon, he went to extreme lengths and rewarded him with high positions. Threats were made to ruin me, and every possible effort was made against me," her note read.

"Seeing the unchecked corruption growing in the Aam Aadmi Party under Kejriwal ji's patronage, incidents of harassment and assault against women, the promotion of thuggish elements, and the betrayal and looting happening with Punjab, I have decided to leave the party today," she added.

(With Agencies inputs)


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