Jairam Ramesh Revives “BJP Washing Machine” Charge After AAP MPs Join Saffron Camp
Jairam Ramesh attacks BJP after AAP MPs reportedly join party.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reviving his “washing machine” metaphor after reports emerged that several Rajya Sabha members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had reportedly joined the ruling party. His remarks came amid heightened political tension following claims of large-scale defections from the opposition camp.
Ramesh, posting on social media platform X, alleged that leaders who once projected themselves as symbols of “virtue, integrity and ideology” had been “exposed” by their switch in allegiance. He described the BJP’s political outreach as a recurring mechanism that absorbs opposition figures, using the phrase “BJP washing machine” to suggest that prior political positions were being effectively erased.
Supporting the criticism, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the BJP of engaging in what he called a “politics of hunting,” alleging that opposition leaders were being strategically targeted and persuaded to defect. He also drew comparisons with similar political realignments in other states, including West Bengal.
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The controversy follows reports that several AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, along with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, have broken away from the party and aligned with the BJP. Other names mentioned in connection with the development include Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, and Swati Maliwal, though the exact status of each remains part of ongoing political discussion.
Addressing the media in New Delhi, Chadha said the concerned MPs had formally informed the Rajya Sabha Chairman about their decision in line with parliamentary procedures, indicating a significant shift in the composition of AAP’s Upper House representation. The development has triggered political uncertainty within the party.
In response, senior AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia held discussions late Friday in Delhi to assess the situation and plan their next steps. Meanwhile, AAP sources indicated that the party’s chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, ND Gupta, may move the House Chairman seeking action under anti-defection provisions, setting the stage for a potential legal and procedural battle in Parliament.
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