In a significant political development, Raghav Chadha announced that he and six other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs are merging with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move, he said, follows constitutional provisions that allow members to retain their seats if at least two-thirds of a party’s MPs agree to a merger.
The announcement comes shortly after Chadha was removed as AAP’s Rajya Sabha deputy leader and replaced by Ashok Mittal, who is also part of the group switching sides. With AAP having 10 MPs in the Upper House, the support of seven members meets the required threshold under the anti-defection law.
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MPs Joining the Move:
- Raghav Chadha – Young Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, known for his role in party strategy.
- Ashok Mittal – Founder of Lovely Professional University and current RS deputy leader.
- Sandeep Pathak – Key organisational strategist within AAP.
- Harbhajan Singh – Former India cricketer turned politician.
- Rajinder Gupta – Founder of Trident Group and industrialist.
- Vikram Sahney – Businessman and Padma Shri awardee.
- Swati Maliwal – Women’s rights activist and former DCW chief.
Most of these MPs were elected from Punjab in 2022 during AAP’s sweeping state victory. Chadha stated that the decision reflects a collective shift, emphasizing that the group is exercising its constitutional right to merge while continuing their parliamentary roles.
