AAP Faces Major Blow as RS Chairman Approves Merger of 7 MPs with BJP

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: In a significant political development, Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan on Monday approved the merger of seven Members of Parliament from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reshaping the party equations in the Upper House.
The decision marks a substantial blow to the party led by Arvind Kejriwal, whose presence in the Rajya Sabha has now dwindled to just three members. In contrast, the BJP has further consolidated its position, taking its tally in the House to 113.
The seven MPs who have now formally joined the BJP include Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Vikramjit Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta. Their names have already been updated under the BJP’s roster on the official Rajya Sabha website, confirming the shift.
Sources indicated that the MPs had approached the Chairman on Friday, requesting formal recognition as BJP members following their decision to merge. After reviewing the petition, the Chairman accepted their plea, thereby giving legal and procedural validity to the move.
The development has triggered a sharp reaction from the AAP leadership. The party had earlier urged the Chairman to disqualify the seven MPs, arguing that their switch violated anti-defection provisions. Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh formally submitted a petition seeking their disqualification from the House.
The political fallout began last week when the group of seven MPs announced their exit from AAP, accusing the party leadership of deviating from its founding ideals, principles, and ethical framework. Their collective resignation and immediate alignment with the BJP sent shockwaves through the political landscape, particularly in the Upper House.
With this merger now officially recognised, the balance of power in the Rajya Sabha tilts further in favour of the BJP, while AAP faces one of its most significant parliamentary setbacks since its inception.