In a major political development, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Monday accepted the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Members of Parliament with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), significantly altering the party positions in the Upper House.
With the merger, the BJP’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 113, while the AAP’s tally has dropped from 10 to just three members.
The move follows a dramatic split within the AAP on April 24, when seven of its MPs broke away and joined the BJP. The leaders involved in the merger are Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajendra Gupta, and Vikramjit Singh Sahney.
The development marks a significant political realignment in the Rajya Sabha and comes as a major setback for the AAP, particularly in the context of its political base in Punjab.
Reacting to the merger, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of undermining the mandate of the people. In a post on X, he said, “The BJP has once again betrayed Punjabis.”
The AAP further alleged that the BJP had initiated an “Operation Lotus” to disrupt the functioning of the Bhagwant Mann-led government in Punjab and stall its pro-people initiatives.
The BJP has not yet issued a detailed response to the allegations. The merger is expected to have wider political implications, both in Parliament and in state-level politics, particularly in Punjab where the AAP currently holds power.
