Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju praised the seven Rajya Sabha members who defected from AAP to join BJP for their disciplined conduct in the House. The Rajya Sabha confirmed the merger, boosting BJP’s strength to 113 members while reducing AAP’s representation to three. The defectors, including Raghav Chadha and Swati Maliwal, announced their decision to leave AAP last week.
Rijiju expressed his approval of the merger, highlighting the acceptance by Chairman Rajya Sabha C.P. Radhakrishnan. He welcomed the seven MPs into the BJP Parliamentary Party, commending their respectful behavior and commitment to parliamentary decorum. Emphasizing the importance of their move, he lauded their contribution to the nation-building vision under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
The shift in allegiance significantly bolstered BJP’s presence in the Upper House, leaving only three AAP members in the Rajya Sabha. The defected group, constituting a majority of AAP’s Rajya Sabha members, invoked the constitutional provision allowing mergers without disqualification. Citing the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, they justified their decision based on the provision for mergers, ensuring their legitimacy within the political framework.
