Rajya Sabha Chair Accepts Merger of Seven AAP MPs with BJP

In a significant political development, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan officially accepted the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Members of Parliament (MPs) with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, April 27, 2026. This decision marks a major realignment in the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, as it has effectively reduced the AAP's strength in the Rajya Sabha from its previous 10 members down to just three. Conversely, the BJP's individual tally in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 113, and the overall strength of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has increased to 148. The seven AAP MPs who have joined the BJP are prominent figures including Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, and Rajinder Gupta. Their decision to switch allegiance was announced on April 24, 2026, with some of the MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, and Ashok Mittal, formally meeting BJP President Nitin Nabin at the BJP headquarters. Following this, BJP President Nitin Nabin welcomed them into the party, extending his best wishes for their work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also acknowledged the Rajya Sabha Chair's approval of the merger and praised the newly merged MPs. Raghav Chadha, a prominent leader who had been with the AAP since its inception and held significant roles, including being its youngest spokesperson and Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, cited profound disillusionment as the primary reason for his departure. He publicly stated that the AAP had deviated from its founding principles, values, and core morals, lamenting what he described as a 'toxic work environment' within the party. Chadha also mentioned feeling like 'the right man in the wrong party' and alleged that the party, originally formed to combat corruption, had fallen into the hands of corrupt individuals. His removal as AAP's Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha earlier on April 2, 2026, replaced by Ashok Mittal, had already fueled speculation about internal rifts and his growing distance from the party's core activities, especially after the arrest of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case. The legal basis for this mass defection rests on the 'merger clause' outlined in the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, commonly known as the Anti-defection Law. This clause stipulates that a group of legislators can merge with another political party without facing disqualification if at least two-thirds of the members of the legislative party agree to such a merger. With seven out of ten AAP Rajya Sabha MPs making this move, they constitute more than two-thirds of the party's strength in the Upper House, thereby invoking this provision to secure their membership in the BJP without attracting disqualification. However, the Aam Aadmi Party has vehemently contested the legality of this merger. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh submitted a petition to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, C.P. Radhakrishnan, seeking the immediate disqualification of all seven defecting MPs. AAP argues that a legislative split cannot occur without the consent of the original political party and that the claim of merger by the legislative wing alone is insufficient. Sanjay Singh described the merger as a 'constitutional fraud' and a 'betrayal of the mandate of Punjab,' alleging that the BJP used central agencies to coerce the MPs. Despite AAP's objections and legal arguments, the Rajya Sabha Chairman's acceptance of the merger indicates that the Chairman found the move consistent with the provisions of the Tenth Schedule. This mass defection represents a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party, particularly in Punjab, where six of the seven defecting MPs were elected from. It is expected to trigger further political ramifications, especially with upcoming elections, and intensifies the ongoing political rivalry between AAP and BJP. The event underscores the fluid nature of political allegiances in India and the constant strategic maneuvers by parties to consolidate power and influence within the parliamentary system. The Rajya Sabha website has been updated to reflect these changes, officially listing the seven MPs as members of the BJP.

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