Raghav Chadha and Six Other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Resign, Join BJP Ranks

Rajya Sabha Members Resign from Aam Aadmi Party, Set to Merge with BJP

In a significant development, Raghav Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced their resignation from the party on Friday. The group has decided to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a move that has left the AAP leadership reeling.

The resigning members include Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Swati Maliwal. AAP leader Ashok Mittal, who was appointed as the Rajya Sabha deputy leader to replace Chadha, has also resigned from the party.

The decision to resign comes days after Chadha was removed as the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha amid a growing rift with the leadership. Speaking to reporters, Chadha praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that the decision to merge with the BJP was taken after they exercised the provisions of the Constitution of India.

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Chadha claimed that more than two-thirds of the AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha are with the group, and that they have submitted signed letters and documents to the Rajya Sabha Chairman. He also stated that the AAP has deviated from its principles and values, and that he felt he was the "right man in the wrong party".

Note: The table above shows the number of MPs in the Rajya Sabha for both the AAP and the BJP.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh lashed out at the BJP for breaking away seven of its MPs, stating that the people of Punjab will remember their betrayal. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann termed the resigning members as "traitors" and stated that the BJP is resorting to manipulation in Punjab.

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The rift between AAP and Chadha came to the forefront earlier this month after the party removed him from the Rajya Sabha post and accused him of shying away from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament.