The Aam Aadmi Party is battling turbulence on two fronts after its national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar quit the party and joined the Congress, while a party MLA in Punjab was suspended within hours of publicly flagging a shortage of teachers in government schools.
The twin setbacks have intensified questions about the party’s internal cohesion at a time when it is already on the back foot nationally, having lost its Delhi bastion and struggling to expand beyond Punjab.
Priyanka Kakkar joins Congress
Kakkar, one of AAP’s most visible faces on television debates, resigned from the party’s primary membership before joining the Congress in New Delhi. She said she could “no longer defend the indefensible” and praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s politics.
A familiar face in prime-time studios, Kakkar was often fielded by AAP to defend the party through its toughest controversies. Her departure therefore carries a sting beyond the optics — it signals that even the party’s professional communicators are losing faith.
She was joined by former Uttar Pradesh MLA Shyam Sundar Sharma and journalist Rajat Rakesh Tandon. The Congress leadership welcomed the trio, calling their entry a sign of the party’s growing appeal among those disillusioned with AAP.
AAP hit back swiftly, dismissing Kakkar as an “opportunist” and questioning her contribution to the party.
Punjab MLA suspended over teacher-shortage remarks
In Punjab, where AAP is in power, the party suspended a sitting MLA for alleged “anti-party activities” barely hours after he raised the issue of vacant teacher posts in the state’s schools.
The MLA had pointed to a crunch that parents and teachers’ unions have flagged for months — unfilled vacancies affecting classroom learning across districts. The party’s response, however, was disciplinary action rather than an assurance of recruitment.
The swift action has raised eyebrows, with critics asking whether flagging a genuine governance concern amounts to indiscipline. The party leadership has maintained that due process was followed, but the timing of the suspension has fuelled the perception of a crackdown on internal dissent.
A party under strain
The twin developments come at a difficult moment for AAP, which is trying to rebuild after losing power in Delhi and facing an aggressive Congress bid to reclaim opposition space.
Kakkar’s exit is symbolically significant — she was among the party’s most articulate defenders during its years in government. Her charge that there is now “indefensible” conduct to defend will sting.
Whether the Punjab suspension blows over or snowballs into a larger rebellion may depend on how the leadership handles the growing perception that questioning the party line comes at a cost. For now, AAP’s top brass has its hands full.
