New Delhi – April 26, 2026 – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has formally petitioned the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, C.P. Radhakrishnan, to terminate the membership of seven Members of Parliament who recently resigned from the party and announced a merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The petition, submitted on Sunday, argues that these defections represent a clear violation of the anti-defection law.
The core of the AAP's contention rests on the assertion that these MPs were elected on an AAP ticket but subsequently abandoned the party's platform. This action, according to AAP MP Sanjay Singh, constitutes a betrayal of the voters' mandate, particularly impacting the representation from Punjab, and is fundamentally against the spirit of the Constitution.
The Defecting Seven
The seven MPs in question are Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahni, and Swati Maliwal. Of these, six are Rajya Sabha MPs representing Punjab. Swati Maliwal is the sole MP among this group representing Delhi. Their decision to leave the AAP and join the BJP was announced on Friday.
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Constitutional Challenge
Sanjay Singh stated that the petition has been filed under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law. The AAP is seeking the disqualification of these members to uphold constitutional provisions and democratic principles.
Party's Accusations
The departing MPs reportedly cited that the AAP, under Arvind Kejriwal, had "strayed from its principles, values and core morals." However, Sanjay Singh characterized these moves as a "betrayal of the people's mandate." The AAP’s petition directly challenges the legitimacy of their continued presence in the Upper House following their departure from the party that secured their election.
