Rajya Sabha Chairman Approves Merger of Rebel AAP MPs with BJP

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan has approved the merger of seven rebel Aam Aadmi Party MPs with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday.

With the development, the BJP’s strength in the Upper House has risen to 113. The MPs who have joined the BJP Parliamentary Party include Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal and Rajinder Gupta.

Sharing the update on social media, Rijiju welcomed the MPs and said the Chairman had formally accepted their merger with the BJP.

“Hon’ble Chairman Rajya Sabha Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan Ji has accepted the merger of 7 AAP MPs with BJP… Welcome to nation building NDA under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji,” Rijiju said.

He also praised the MPs, stating that they had maintained parliamentary decorum and refrained from “abusive language” or “un-parliamentary conduct” during their tenure.

The development follows a recent political shift in which the seven MPs resigned from the AAP and announced their decision to join the BJP.

Earlier, Chadha had said he was compelled to leave the party citing a “toxic” work environment, adding that joining the BJP would enable him to pursue his causes more effectively.

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