India, April 30 -- The recent exit of seven members from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to align with the ruling dispensation has drawn sharp attention - not only nationally but within the party's leadership. Yet, given their socio-economic profiles, the development may be less surprising than it appears.

A majority come from highly privileged or resource-rich backgrounds: Ashok Kumar Mittal, Rajendra Gupta, and Vikramjit Singh Sahney are linked with substantial wealth; Harbhajan Singh is associated with the financially powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India; and Raghav Chadha has strong connections across corporate and Bollywood circles.

The remaining figures - Swati Maliwal and Sandeep Pathak - have held significant internal influe...