Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak left his official residence in New Delhi on Saturday, May 2, 2026, as reports said he could face arrest after two First Information Reports (FIRs) were lodged against him in Punjab for alleged non-bailable offences, according to IANS. The development comes days after Pathak was among seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs who quit the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Visuals from the residence showed increased security outside the house, while another clip captured Pathak exiting through a back door, getting into a car and being driven away. Sources told NDTV that his phone is switched off and he has moved to an undisclosed location, and that the BJP has activated its legal cell to seek relief on his behalf.
Pathak was one of seven MPs who announced their exit from the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP on April 24, 2026, saying the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. The group includes Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal and Vikramjit Sahney. Except for Swati Maliwal, the other six represent Punjab in the Upper House.
Because seven of AAP’s 10 Rajya Sabha MPs resigned together — a two-thirds majority of the party’s delegation — they are not expected to face disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law, which aims to prevent elected representatives from defecting for personal gain.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said he will meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5, 2026, to raise the matter, calling the defections “illegal” and “unlawful” and asserting they “amount to a betrayal of the people’s mandate.” Mann subsequently won a confidence vote in the 117-member Punjab Assembly called after the Rajya Sabha defections.
The assembly arithmetic remains in AAP’s favour on paper: 94 AAP MLAs, 16 from the Congress, three from SAD, one from BSP, two from the BJP and one Independent. During the confidence proceedings, 88 AAP MLAs were present; two were reported abroad, two were in jail and two were hospitalised. Mann has said AAP’s support base remains intact and will translate into an even bigger mandate in 2027.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sandeep-pathak-who-switched-from-aap-to-bjp-faces-likely-arrest-in-punjab-11438396#publisher=newsstand
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-05-02 13:18:00
