CHANDIGARH, APRIL 27 —Rajya Sabha website now reflects a decreased tally for the Aam Aadmi Party after Chairman CP Radhakrishnan validated the merger of seven of its representatives into the BJP. The move leaves AAP with three seats, down from its original ten, and brings the BJP closer to the 123-seat majority mark in the 245-member house.
The MPs involved in the transition—including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, and Swati Maliwal—consented to the merger through a formal letter submitted to the Chairman. Officials stated that because these seven members constitute more than two-thirds of the AAP’s Rajya Sabha contingent, the action met the legal requirements to avoid disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.
The AAP government and its legal representatives maintained that the merger should not have been recognized. They declared that the legislative shift was invalid without a corresponding merger of the political parties themselves. Despite these objections, the Chairman’s office affirmed that the procedural requirements for a legislative merger were satisfied.
The development was welcomed by senior BJP leaders, who stated that the move signals a consolidation of the ruling alliance. Kiren Rijiju affirmed that the new members are now part of the BJP Parliamentary Party and declared that their transition marks a departure from opposition alliances. He maintained that the MPs have shown a consistent commitment to disciplined conduct within the house.
