Swati Maliwal, who recently left the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), emphasized that her exit was not premeditated but was catalyzed by the party's directive to oppose the Women's Reservation Bill. This bill, aimed at ensuring 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026. Following this, Maliwal, along with six other Rajya Sabha members, merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to circumvent disqualification under the anti-defection law. Maliwal expressed her longstanding commitment to AAP, stating that she had been with the party since its inception. However, she felt compelled to leave after the party pressured her to retract her complaint regarding an alleged assault at the residence of Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi at the time. Despite her struggles within the party, including feeling unheard and unsupported, particularly by Kejriwal, Maliwal had initially hoped to effect change from within AAP. Her departure reflects broader issues within the party regarding women's representation and support. Now aligned with the BJP, Maliwal looks forward to new opportunities as determined by the party's leadership.