Raghav Chadha on Friday announced that more than two-thirds of the Aam Aadmi Party MPs in the Rajya Sabha have decided to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Addressing a press conference, Chadha said the move was taken under constitutional provisions that allow a merger when two-thirds of a legislative party agree.
“We have decided that we, the two-thirds members belonging to the AAP in Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” he said.
Seven MPs submit merger documents
According to Chadha, seven MPs have signed the merger documents and submitted them to Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan.
Along with Chadha, MPs Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal were present during the announcement and also met BJP leadership at the party headquarters.
Other MPs who are part of the move include Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Vikram Sahney and Rajinder Gupta.
Chadha said the group has formally communicated its decision to merge and will now work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chadha cites dissatisfaction within AAP
Explaining the decision, Raghav Chadha alleged that the party had drifted from its founding principles.
“The party that was formed to fight corruption is now trapped in the hands of corrupt and compromised individuals,” he said.
The development follows months of reported tensions between Chadha and the AAP leadership, with internal disagreements becoming increasingly visible.
BJP welcomes move, opposition calls it “betrayal”
Union minister SP Singh Baghel welcomed the MPs, saying they had “lost faith” in AAP’s leadership and ideology.
“They have chosen to place their faith in the BJP’s ideology and leadership,” he said.
However, AAP leader Sanjay Singh strongly criticised the move, accusing the MPs of betraying both the party and the people of Punjab.
“They have betrayed the mandate given to them,” Singh said, also alleging that the BJP has been obstructing the work of the AAP government in Punjab led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
“Operation Lotus” charge resurfaces
Reacting to the development, Congress leader Priyank Kharge described the move as part of the BJP’s alleged strategy of engineering defections.
“Operation Lotus is always being carried out by the BJP. They can never get a majority without such tactics,” he claimed.
Political impact on Rajya Sabha
The merger, if formally accepted, could significantly alter the strength of parties in the Rajya Sabha and mark the end of AAP’s independent presence in the Upper House.
The final decision now rests with the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who will examine whether the merger meets the legal and constitutional requirements.
