The Rajya Sabha Chairman approved the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat issued an official notice confirming the move, and records now list all seven MPs as part of the BJP.
With this merger, the BJP’s strength in the Upper House has risen to 113, further consolidating its position. The MPs who joined the BJP include Raghav Chadha, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta.
The seven leaders resigned from AAP on April 24 and formally joined the BJP at its Delhi headquarters. The induction took place in the presence of BJP chief Nitin Nabin and senior leader Tarun Chugh.
Addressing a press conference before the merger, Raghav Chadha, accompanied by Pathak and Mittal, stated that two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs had broken away from the party and joined the BJP as a separate faction. He emphasised that the decision followed constitutional provisions allowing such a merger without disqualification.
The development marks a significant setback for AAP, which now faces reduced representation in the Rajya Sabha. Political observers noted that the BJP’s growing numbers in the Upper House could strengthen its legislative agenda.
The merger of seven AAP MPs into the BJP ranks highlights shifting political alignments and adds momentum to the saffron camp’s parliamentary strength.
