Raghav Chadha announced that seven Members of Parliament belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha had collectively decided to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party, invoking constitutional provisions that allow such a decision when at least two-thirds of the party’s parliamentary members agree to a merger.
Apart from Raghav Chadha, the six other Aam Aadmi Party Members of Parliament involved in the merger include Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Swati Maliwal. Addressing a press conference, Chadha stated that signed documents had been submitted to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha confirming the decision. He was accompanied by Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak during the briefing.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh announced that he would seek the disqualification of Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak from the Upper House for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The merger has been justified by Chadha on the basis of constitutional provisions stating that two-thirds of the Members of Parliament of a political party can merge with another party without losing their membership in the Upper House. Chadha emphasized that the majority threshold had been met and the procedural requirements were fulfilled.
Explaining his decision, Raghav Chadha stated that he felt like “the right man in the wrong party,” adding that although he had “nurtured the party with my blood and sweat,” he believed it had “deviated from its principles, values, and core morals.” He further stated that he was not considered “eligible” for the leadership’s friendship because he was not “part of their crime.”
Chadha added that the members faced two choices: either leave politics entirely or continue public service through what he described as positive political engagement using their experience and energy.
The development marks a major shift in the composition of the Rajya Sabha representation from the Aam Aadmi Party, with legal and political implications now expected to follow as disqualification proceedings are initiated.
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