Seven AAP MPs Officially Merge with BJP, Impacting Party Strength in Rajya Sabha
Significant Shift in Rajya Sabha Dynamics
Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Vikramjit Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta are the seven MPs who have merged. (Photo: IANS)
New Delhi, Apr 27: The merger of seven Members of Parliament from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been officially recognized by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan. This change has reduced AAP's representation in the Upper House to just three members.
Following this merger, the BJP's total strength in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 113.
The MPs who have transitioned to the BJP include Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Vikramjit Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta.
The Rajya Sabha's official website now lists these seven MPs as members of the BJP.
On Friday, these MPs had formally requested the Rajya Sabha Chairman to recognize them as BJP members, a request that has now been granted, according to sources.
In response to this development, the AAP filed a petition with the Rajya Sabha Chairman on Sunday, seeking to terminate the memberships of the seven MPs who switched allegiance.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh has also submitted a petition to Chairman Radhakrishnan, calling for the disqualification of the seven MPs who recently left the party and merged with the BJP.
This merger marks a significant setback for the AAP, as the seven Rajya Sabha MPs announced their departure from the party, claiming that the Kejriwal-led organization had deviated from its foundational principles and values.