Overview
- Priyanka Kakkar, a senior AAP organiser and former national spokesperson, formally left the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Indian National Congress on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at a press event where two other figures also signed up.
- Kakkar said she had 'could no longer defend the indefensible' after seeing AAP leaders accept perks she said the party once rejected, naming bungalows, cars and private chopper travel and calling out lateral appointments of people without booth‑level experience.
- She praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as an authentic figure, said she joined to avoid splitting opposition votes, and repeated Gandhi's criticisms of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and concerns about voter‑roll changes.
- Congress publicly welcomed Kakkar and the two entrants, with senior party officials saying the additions could strengthen the party's organisation and messaging ahead of critical state contests such as Uttar Pradesh.
- Kakkar's switch caps a decade‑long association with AAP and marks a notable political realignment that could shift campaign dynamics in Delhi and nearby states and that analysts will watch for effects on grassroots organisation and vote consolidation.