AAP Rajya Sabha Split Likely To Strengthen NDA Numbers
A significant political development is taking place in India’s Parliament as seven members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Rajya Sabha have announced their decision to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This move is expected to strengthen the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Upper House.
Currently, the BJP holds 106 seats in the Rajya Sabha, while the NDA’s combined strength stands at 141, including nominated members. With the addition of these seven AAP MPs, the BJP’s tally is projected to rise to 113, and the NDA’s to 148. The ruling alliance is also anticipated to gain more seats later this year, as more than 30 seats are set to become vacant.
The announcement was made by former AAP deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Raghav Chadha, who stated that two-thirds of the party’s members in the Upper House have agreed to merge with the BJP. According to the anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, such a merger can protect the members from disqualification if at least two-thirds of the legislative party support it.
However, the AAP leadership has strongly opposed this move. Party leader Sanjay Singh has demanded the disqualification of the MPs involved, arguing that joining another party constitutes voluntarily giving up membership in the original party. The matter has now been referred to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who will determine whether the merger is legally valid.
Experts highlight that the situation is legally complex. While merging two-thirds of the parliamentary party can offer protection, the law also requires that the original political party itself must merge with another party. If this condition is not met, the MPs could still face disqualification.
In the event of a formal split, AAP’s national leadership, led by Arvind Kejriwal, may approach the Election Commission to claim the party’s official symbol. The Commission would then decide which faction represents the original party based on legislative majority and other criteria.
This development is reminiscent of a similar instance in 2019, when a majority of Telugu Desam Party MPs in the Rajya Sabha merged with the BJP and successfully avoided disqualification.
As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Election Commission, whose decisions will determine the political and legal outcome of this high-stakes development.
