Raghav Chadha announced his resignation from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and confirmed that six other Rajya Sabha MPs have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The announcement came during a press conference on Friday, marking a major political shift in the upper house.
Chadha said the merger was carried out under constitutional provisions that allow two-thirds of a party’s members to join another political group while retaining their membership. He was joined by Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, with four others—Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Swati Maliwal—also signing the merger documents submitted to the Rajya Sabha chairman.
Explaining his decision, Chadha said he had “nurtured the Aam Aadmi Party with my blood and sweat” but accused the party of straying from its principles and values. “For the past few years, I could feel that I am the right man in the wrong party,” he said.
The move follows AAP’s decision to remove Chadha as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week. Political analysts described the development as a significant realignment that strengthens BJP’s presence in Parliament.
The merger fulfils the two-thirds requirement under the Constitution, ensuring that all seven MPs retain their Rajya Sabha membership.
