Congress Alleges AAP is 'Party of Billionaires', Accuses It of Selling Rajya Sabha Seats as Seven MPs Switch to BJP

Delhi: The Congress on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), claiming that its "mask is off" after seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs crossed over to the BJP. Senior Congress leader and party treasurer Ajay Maken alleged that AAP has functioned as a "party of billionaires" that allegedly distributed Rajya Sabha seats based on money rather than ideology or public service.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Maken said the mass defection has exposed AAP’s true character. 

“We all know that in the Rajya Sabha, seven MPs from the AAP have left the party and joined the BJP. Before coming here today, I checked the Rajya Sabha website, and all seven MPs are now listed under the BJP category,” he stated.

Maken further accused AAP of acting as a proxy for the BJP to weaken the Congress in key states like Punjab and Gujarat. He questioned how the BJP would justify the development, particularly in Punjab, where six of the defecting MPs hail from. “How will the BJP answer this that six Punjab MPs have now joined BJP which got just over six per cent of votes in the Punjab assembly polls,” Maken asked.

Highlighting Punjab’s strategic importance, the Congress leader warned that the state, being a sensitive border region, has historically faced attempts by external forces to stoke separatism and unrest.

“Punjab is a border state and plays a crucial role in safeguarding our frontiers. It has also witnessed attempts in the past by external forces to support separatist elements and create unrest. Now, once again, such separatist forces, those who want to divide the country and separate Punjab, are beginning to raise their heads,” Maken said.

The Congress has positioned the defections as a major setback for AAP and a sign of its alleged opportunistic politics, while raising concerns over the implications for political stability in Punjab.

This development comes amid ongoing political realignments in the upper house, with the Rajya Sabha officially reflecting the changed affiliations of the seven MPs.

It is important to note that Congress and AAP had joined hands to be part of the INDI alliance to fight Lok Sabha elections in 2024. AAP exited the alliance after the INDI bloc was defeated in the polls. 

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