SRINAGAR: Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan on Monday formally approved the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs with the BJP, weakening the Kejriwal-led party’s presence in the Upper House to just three members.
The MPs who joined the BJP include Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Vikramjit Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta. Following the merger, the BJP’s tally in the Rajya Sabha has increased to 113.
The Rajya Sabha website has updated its records to reflect the seven leaders as BJP members. The MPs had approached the Chairman on Friday, requesting official recognition as BJP parliamentarians after breaking away from the AAP.
In response, the AAP had petitioned the Chairman seeking disqualification of the defecting members. Party MP Sanjay Singh also submitted a separate plea demanding termination of their membership.
The split marks a major setback for the AAP, with the seven MPs accusing the party leadership of abandoning its founding principles, values, and moral framework.
