Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan has officially approved the merger of a faction of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A group of seven AAP MPs had left the party last Friday to join the BJP. While AAP had sought the disqualification of these rebel members, the Chairman accepted the merger of the group into the BJP. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has also issued a formal notification regarding this development.
Shift in Rajya Sabha Dynamics
With the merger of the rebel faction, the BJP has Importantly strengthened its position in the Upper House. The number of BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha has now increased to 113, which includes five members nominated by the President. Conversely, AAP, which had 10 MPs until last week, is now left with only three members. Notably, six out of the seven MPs who left AAP are Rajya Sabha members representing the state of Punjab.
The Seven MPs Who Joined BJP
The Aam Aadmi Party suffered a major blow last Friday when Raghav Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Vikram Sahni, Rajendra Gupta, and Swati Maliwal resigned from the party simultaneously and joined the BJP. During their departure, these MPs alleged that the party led by Arvind Kejriwal had deviated from its core principles and moral values, while meanwhile, another AAP MP, Balbir Singh Seechewal, claimed that MP Vikramjit Singh Sahni had approached him to join the independent group, but he had declined the offer.
AAP's Disqualification Plea
Prior to the Chairman's approval, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had sent a letter to Chairman CP Radhakrishnan on Sunday, requesting the disqualification of the seven MPs. Sanjay Singh argued that the move by these members amounted to defection. He stated that the party would take legal steps if necessary. He emphasized that these MPs were elected to the Upper House on AAP tickets and their decision to join the BJP warrants disqualification, citing various Supreme Court judgments including those related to Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh.
Raghav Chadha's Justification
Explaining his decision, Raghav Chadha stated that he entered politics not to build a career but after leaving his professional career behind. He alleged that he was being prevented from working within the party and claimed that AAP is now in the hands of individuals working for personal gain, while chadha mentioned he had three options: quitting politics, trying to reform the party from within, or joining another party for positive politics. He stated that the seven MPs collectively decided to leave the party to address public issues more effectively.
The seven MPs who joined the BJP are Raghav Chadha, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, Vikramjit Singh Sahni, Swati Maliwal, and Rajendra Gupta. With their inclusion, the total number of BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha has reached 113.