AAP seeks disqualification of 7 rajya sabha mps over merger with bjp

New Delhi: The political battle between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party has intensified, with AAP moving the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking disqualification of seven of its MPs who recently announced their merger with the BJP.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Sunday confirmed that a formal petition has been submitted to Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, urging action against the MPs for allegedly violating the anti-defection law. Addressing a press conference, Singh said the party is also prepared to pursue legal remedies if required.

“The move by these MPs is a clear violation of the anti-defection law. They were elected on AAP tickets but have now chosen to switch sides for political gains,” Singh alleged, demanding immediate cancellation of their membership in the Upper House.

The controversy erupted after seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs—Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahney and Swati Maliwal—announced on Friday that they would leave the party and merge with the BJP. The MPs claimed that the party led by Arvind Kejriwal had drifted away from its founding principles, values, and ethical commitments.

Defending their decision, Raghav Chadha had argued that the merger would not attract disqualification under the anti-defection law. He cited provisions stating that if two-thirds of a party’s MPs decide to merge with another party, it is legally permissible. With AAP having a total of 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, the defection of seven members meets that threshold, he claimed.

However, Sanjay Singh rejected this argument, asserting that several Supreme Court rulings—particularly in cases related to Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh—have clarified how such defections can still attract disqualification. He emphasized that the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India do not allow arbitrary political switching.

“The Constitution does not permit such political defections in this manner. We are confident that justice will prevail,” Singh said.

The development has triggered a fresh political storm in the national capital, with both parties preparing for a legal and constitutional battle. The Rajya Sabha Chairman’s decision on the petition is now keenly awaited, as it could have significant implications for parliamentary politics and the interpretation of anti-defection laws.