AAP MPs Join BJP: Raghav Chadha, Aam Aadmi Party MP, on Friday announced that two-thirds of the party's members in the Rajya Sabha are quitting the party and merging with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

This development marks a significant blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leader, Arvind Kejriwal.

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How Many Rajya Sabha MPs Are There With AAP And Who All Are Leaving The Party?

Currently, the AAP has 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, with a large chunk from Punjab. Chadha on Friday stated that two-thirds of these members are leaving the party to merge with the BJP. In addition to Chadha, the MPs named as joining the BJP include Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta, and Vikram Sahni.

"There are 10 AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha, more than 2/3rd of them are with us in this. They have signed, and this morning we submitted the signed letter and documents to the Rajya Sabha Chairman...3 of them are here before you. Besides us, there are Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney and Swati Maliwal," Chadha was quoted as saying.

ALSO READ: Raghav Chadha, 6 Other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Merge With BJP; Will They Lose Their Seats Under Anti-Defection Law?

'Right Man In The Wrong Party': Raghav Chadha

Speaking at a press conference alongside senior AAP MPs Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, Chadha said that he had dedicated 15 years of his life to the party but felt that it had stepped away from 'honest politics'.

"The AAP that I gave 15 years of my life to... Now the party has stepped away from honest politics. I am the right man in the wrong party. I am moving away from the party and going closer to the people," he said.

"As per the Constitution, two-thirds of the total MPs of a party can merge with another party. We have submitted a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan in this regard today... submitting all the documents required," he added.

AAP Reacts

Reacting to the move, AAP leader Sanjay Singh convened a press conference to slam the seven MPs quitting the party to join the BJP.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party, under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, has launched 'Operation Lotus', which is being described as a game of cheap politics and an attempt to obstruct the good work of the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab on a large scale," Singh said.