AAP to seek disqualification of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who joined BJP

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday announced it will write to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan demanding the disqualification of seven MPs who defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a day earlier, rejecting claims of a valid merger by a two-thirds faction.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also sought a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu, along with party MLAs, to demand a "recall" of the MPs—though the Constitution provides no such mechanism for MPs or MLAs, ensuring fixed terms.

AAP Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh branded the switch by Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal and Vikramjit Sahney as "unconstitutional and illegal". He cited the anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule, arguing that "no form of split is permissible" in Parliament, as upheld in the Shiv Sena case.

Singh dismissed merger claims, insisting even a two-thirds majority or increase to eight members lacks legal validity. He plans to submit a detailed letter citing parliamentary rules to terminate their memberships.

Most legal experts, however, disagree, noting the Tenth Schedule permits two-thirds of a legislature party to merge with another without triggering disqualification. Only Kapil Sibal echoed AAP's view, stressing that parties must first pass a merger resolution before MPs can join another.

Raghav Chadha defended the move to PTI, attributing it to "disappointment, disengagement and disgust" with AAP leadership, not fear. Party insiders revealed AAP knew of BJP's outreach for days, with last-minute efforts to retain at least two MPs failing. Buzz persists of ED case pressures on some, like Mittal.

The episode exposes AAP's internal woes. Key figures like Chadha and Pathak, instrumental in Punjab's ticket distribution and 2022 victory, faced marginalisation post-Delhi poll losses.

Vikramjit Sahney told TOI his decision stemmed from disenchantment with Punjab's governance under Mann—citing Rs 4.5 lakh crore debt, agrarian woes, absent agri-processing, drug menace and stalled projects. He alleged Mann was inaccessible and unreceptive to MP suggestions.