NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak left his official New Delhi residence on Saturday amid reports that he may face imminent arrest. The development follows the registration of two First Information Reports (FIRs) against him in Punjab. According to IANS, these cases involve non-bailable offences, significantly intensifying the legal pressure on the high-profile lawmaker.
Visuals from the scene on Saturday showed a heightened security presence outside Pathak’s residence. In a dramatic exit captured on video, the MP was seen leaving the premises through the back door before being driven away in a private vehicle. Sources informed NDTV that Pathak’s mobile phone is currently switched off and he has moved to an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly mobilised its legal cell to secure immediate judicial relief for him.
Pathak was among the seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP on April 24. The group-comprising Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal, and Vikramjit Sahney-claimed the AAP had strayed from its founding principles and core morals. Notably, six of these seven members represent Punjab in the Upper House.
Under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law, these MPs are expected to avoid disqualification. This is because seven out of the ten AAP Rajya Sabha members jumped ship together, effectively meeting the required two-thirds strength necessary to merge or defect without attracting legislative penalties.
The political fallout has triggered a sharp reaction from the Punjab government. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced his intention to meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 to formally raise the issue. Mann has characterised the move as an “illegal” and “unlawful defection,” asserting that such political manoeuvres constitute a direct betrayal of the people’s mandate.
Despite the desertion of its Rajya Sabha members, Mann successfully proved his majority by winning a confidence vote in the 117-member Punjab Assembly. The AAP currently maintains a robust majority with 94 MLAs, while the opposition consists of 16 Congress MLAs, three from SAD, two from the BJP, and one from the BSP, alongside one Independent.
During the assembly proceedings, 88 AAP MLAs were present to support the government. Of the remaining party legislators, two were reportedly abroad, two were in jail, and two were hospitalised. Addressing the House, Chief Minister Mann maintained that the party’s grassroots support remains intact and predicted an even larger mandate for the AAP in the 2027 elections.
