‘Switched sides to save businesses': AAP MP's ED dig at Lovely Group's Ashok Mittal after BJP switch
# AAP Slams MPs’ BJP Switch Over ED Fears
New Delhi: In a massive political earthquake that has severely jolted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of critical legislative realignments, seven prominent AAP Members of Parliament have defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The mass exodus, which took place in late April 2026, has triggered furious reactions from the AAP leadership. Leading the charge, AAP MP Malvinder Kang launched a blistering attack on the defectors, particularly targeting Lovely Group’s Ashok Mittal. Kang accused the lawmakers of bowing to pressure from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and abandoning their ideological commitments purely to “save their businesses,” thereby betraying the party that originally propelled them into the national spotlight.
## The Mass Defection and Kang’s Scathing Indictment
The political landscape in Punjab and the national capital was upended when seven MPs—a mix of high-profile leaders and wealthy entrepreneurs sent to Parliament by AAP—formally donned the saffron scarves of the BJP. The move represents one of the most significant parliamentary coups orchestrated by the ruling national party in recent years. [Source: Hindustan Times | Additional: Public Electoral Records].
Addressing a packed press conference in Chandigarh, AAP MP and chief spokesperson Malvinder Kang did not mince words. He accused all seven MPs of “betraying” AAP, emphasizing that it was the party led by Arvind Kejriwal that “gave them a lot of respect” and a platform on the national stage.
Kang’s ire was disproportionately focused on Ashok Mittal, the Chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU) and head of the sprawling Lovely Group. Mittal, who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by AAP from Punjab, was historically seen as a non-political figure brought in for his educational and entrepreneurial expertise.
“These individuals have not switched sides for the development of Punjab or the nation. They have switched sides solely to save their businesses from the scrutiny of central investigative agencies,” Kang asserted. “The people of Punjab trusted AAP, and AAP trusted these individuals. This is not just a political defection; it is a profound breach of public trust driven by personal financial preservation.”
## The ‘Washing Machine’ Allegation and Agency Pressures
Kang’s allegations tap into a long-standing narrative cultivated by opposition parties in India: the claim that the BJP uses federal investigative agencies, particularly the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to intimidate opposition leaders and wealthy party financiers. The opposition frequently refers to the BJP as a “washing machine,” alleging that politicians facing corruption probes suddenly find their investigations stalled or dropped once they align with the ruling party.
Over the past three years, businesses affiliated with political figures have faced intense regulatory and financial scrutiny. The Lovely Group, a massive conglomerate with interests ranging from higher education to real estate and auto dealerships, represents a highly vulnerable target for such probes due to the sheer volume of its financial transactions.
“The pattern is undeniably visible to the electorate,” notes Dr. Rajesh Kothari, a senior political analyst at the Centre for Electoral Dynamics. “When politicians who possess massive business empires switch allegiances overnight without any ideological alignment, the immediate assumption in the public domain is self-preservation. The AAP’s narrative that the ED is being used as a coercive tool of political acquisition resonates deeply with their voter base, even if the BJP vehemently denies it.”
While no fresh ED raids on Mittal’s properties had been publicly announced immediately prior to the defection, AAP insiders claim that informal pressures and the threat of impending investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were the primary catalysts for the mass exodus. [Source: Original RSS | Additional: Expert Political Analysis].
## Ashok Mittal and the Lovely Group Empire
To understand the weight of Kang’s allegations, one must look at the scale of the Lovely Group. Founded as a small sweets shop in Jalandhar, the enterprise has grown exponentially over the decades. Today, its crown jewel is the Lovely Professional University (LPU), one of India’s largest private universities, boasting thousands of students, vast infrastructure, and significant international tie-ups.
When the Aam Aadmi Party nominated Ashok Mittal to the Rajya Sabha, the move was met with mixed reactions. Supporters praised the inclusion of an educationist and self-made billionaire who could contribute to policy-making. Critics, however, viewed it as a transactional arrangement, questioning how a party born from an anti-corruption, common-man movement could hand upper-house seats to elite business tycoons.
For Mittal, remaining on the wrong side of the central government could theoretically spell disaster for his business ecosystem. Private universities in India are heavily regulated by central bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), and massive conglomerates are frequently subject to complex tax audits. AAP’s current crisis underscores the inherent risk of granting political power to business magnates whose primary allegiance is understandably to their shareholders and legacy rather than a political ideology.
## The Strategic Blow to the Aam Aadmi Party
The loss of seven MPs in a single stroke is a catastrophic strategic blow to the Aam Aadmi Party, severely diluting its parliamentary muscle. In the Rajya Sabha, where numbers dictate the ability to block or stall contentious legislation, AAP had steadily built a vocal block to counter the BJP.
This defection not only reduces their numerical strength but also shatters the psychological momentum of the party. It raises profound questions about AAP’s vetting process for parliamentary nominees.
“This is a massive wake-up call for the AAP leadership,” says Sunita Narayan, a legal expert specializing in parliamentary affairs. “When you give tickets to billionaires and political opportunists rather than grassroots workers who bled for the party during its formative years, you run the risk of them jumping ship at the first sign of a storm. Grassroots workers have nothing to lose but their ideology; businessmen have empires to protect.”
The mass defection also triggers complex legal maneuvering regarding the anti-defection law (Tenth Schedule of the Constitution). If the seven MPs constitute two-thirds of their respective legislative party block, they might bypass disqualification by claiming a merger. Alternatively, they may be forced to resign and seek re-election on BJP tickets, setting the stage for highly charged by-elections in Punjab. [Source: Additional Knowledge on Indian Constitutional Law].
## BJP’s Expansion Strategy and the Counter-Narrative
From the perspective of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the induction of Ashok Mittal and the six other MPs is a masterstroke in its persistent effort to breach Punjab—a state where the BJP has historically struggled to establish a dominant footprint, especially following the controversial farm laws protest.
The BJP has vehemently denied AAP’s allegations regarding the weaponization of the Enforcement Directorate. BJP spokespersons have countered Malvinder Kang’s narrative by insisting that the MPs left AAP due to the “suffocating, dictatorial style of leadership” in Delhi and the failure of the AAP-led state government to deliver on its promises in Punjab.
“The Aam Aadmi Party is imploding under the weight of its own contradictions and corruption scandals,” a senior BJP leader stated shortly after the inductions. “Eminent personalities like Ashok Mittal are joining the BJP because they are inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision for a developed India (Viksit Bharat). AAP’s attempt to blame central agencies is nothing but a desperate cover-up for their total loss of credibility among their own leaders.”
The BJP’s strategy in Punjab has shifted towards co-opting established Sikh faces, influential Dalits, and prominent Hindu business leaders to create a formidable social coalition. By absorbing the financial and social capital of leaders like Mittal, the BJP accelerates its timeline for becoming a primary alternative in the border state.
## Implications for Punjab and National Politics
The reverberations of this mass defection will be felt deeply in the upcoming electoral cycles. For Punjab, it indicates that the political volatility that has characterized the state since the collapse of the traditional Akali-Congress binary is far from over.
If by-elections are forced, they will serve as a mid-term referendum on the AAP government in Punjab. AAP will likely campaign heavily on the “betrayal” narrative championed by Malvinder Kang, asking voters to punish those who sold their mandates out of fear or greed. Conversely, the BJP will pour immense resources into these potential contests to prove that their new acquisitions have genuine mass backing, not just deep pockets.
On a national level, the event further polarizes the political climate regarding the autonomy of central investigative agencies. The opposition’s unified front will undoubtedly point to this episode in parliamentary debates as textbook evidence of democratic subversion, while the ruling party will cite it as proof of the opposition’s disintegrating ideological glue.
## Conclusion
The defection of Ashok Mittal and six other MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP marks a watershed moment in the lead-up to the next political phase in India. AAP MP Malvinder Kang’s fiery denunciation—highlighting the alleged role of the Enforcement Directorate in coercing businessmen-turned-politicians—strikes at the heart of contemporary debates surrounding political funding, crony capitalism, and the integrity of democratic mandates.
As AAP scrambles to secure its remaining flock and recalibrate its candidate selection philosophy, the BJP celebrates a significant tactical victory in its quest to expand its footprint in Punjab. Whether this mass exodus ultimately secures the business empires of the defectors or triggers a fierce voter backlash remains to be seen. What is undeniable, however, is that the intersection of wealth, political power, and state machinery will continue to define the turbulent trajectory of Indian democracy.
By Political Correspondent, National Desk, April 27, 2026
