The BRICS TimesRajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak isn’t alone in facing a political backlash other former AAP MPs who recently jumped ship to the BJP are also feeling the heat in Punjab.
Punjab Registers Cases Against Pathak After BJP Switch
Just days after Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak quit the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, Punjab authorities registered two FIRs against him. The cases carry non-bailable charges and the political timing has raised many eyebrows. No specific details about the nature of the FIRs have surfaced yet. Pathak was one of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who ditched AAP to align with the BJP in a stunning political shift.
A Punjab Police team also showed up at Pathak’s Delhi residence. But by the time the officers arrived, he had already left the premises.
Pathak Hits Back Says He Knew Nothing About the FIRs
Reacting sharply to the cases registered against him, Pathak said the police had not even attempted to reach out to him. He claimed he had served the nation all his life with full honesty. “The country is bigger than any party I will never betray it, nor allow anyone else to do so. If any action has been initiated against someone like me, it only shows how scared they are. I don’t wish to say anything further,” he said.
His statement made it clear he sees the FIRs as a political move, not a legal one.
Pathak Is Not the Only Target
Pathak is not the only former AAP figure facing action after joining the BJP. A team of more than 10 officials from the Punjab Pollution Control Board the PPCB raided Trident Group’s Dhaula manufacturing unit in Barnala district last Thursday. The raid followed Trident Group chairman emeritus Rajinder Gupta’s switch to the BJP just days earlier.
During the raid, PPCB officials collected samples of discharged effluent, groundwater, and other environmental materials. The stated goal was verifying compliance with environmental safety norms. Critics, however, see a clear pattern emerging one where those leaving AAP face regulatory or legal heat soon after.
Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Jump Ship to BJP
Sandeep Pathak’s political shift came as part of a larger group walkout one that shook AAP’s parliamentary standing dramatically. In one fell swoop, seven Rajya Sabha MPs quit the party and joined the BJP. Working under AAP, Pathak said, had become untenable for multiple reasons leaving him with no choice but to move on.
The others who made the switch alongside him include Raghav Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney, and Ashok Mittal. All of them except Swati Maliwal held Rajya Sabha seats from Punjab under the AAP banner. With this mass resignation, AAP’s strength in the Upper House collapsed from 10 MPs down to just 3 a massive blow to the party’s national presence.
Who Is Sandeep Pathak And What Did He Build for AAP?
During his years with AAP, Sandeep Pathak was one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes figures in Punjab’s party machinery. He played a key role in identifying candidates for critical organisational positions. He also ran meticulous data analysis on electoral constituencies and sensitive political issues a skill that set him apart from most party strategists.
Many party insiders describe him as a hard taskmaster demanding, precise, and results-driven. His sharpest moment came during the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, when he helped steer AAP to a decisive, historic victory against Congress. Beyond Punjab, Pathak also served as in-charge for Gujarat and co-in-charge for Punjab and Himachal Pradesh roles that gave him a pan-India strategic footprint within the party.
