New Delhi, 27 April (H.S.):

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) position in the Rajya Sabha has grown stronger, with the number of its members in the upper house rising from 106 to 113. The Rajya Sabha’s Chairman, C. P. Radhakrishnan, has formally approved the merger of seven former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs into the BJP, including Raghav Chadda, giving the party increased numerical strength in the Council of States.

On Monday, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat released an updated list of all members of the House, reflecting the latest changes in party affiliations. In the new list, the names of the seven former AAP MPs have been shifted to the BJP’s parliamentary party column, confirming their formal entry into the party’s ranks. This move has further consolidated the BJP’s clout in the Rajya Sabha, especially at a time when a thin margin in numbers can influence the passage of key legislation.

The seven members who left the Aam Aadmi Party on April 24 and joined the BJP are: Raghav Chadda, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandip Kumar Pathak, Dr. Vikramjit Singh Sahni, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta. All of them have now been recognised as official members of the BJP parliamentary party and will be counted in the party’s strength in the Rajya Sabha for all future proceedings.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiran Rijiju confirmed the development on the social‑media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that “Chairman of Rajya Sabha C. P. Radhakrishnan has accepted the merger of seven AAP members into the BJP. Raghav Chadda, Sandip Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikramjit Singh Sahni are now members of the BJP parliamentary party.”

Rijiju also praised the conduct of these seven MPs, noting that they have never used abusive language or indulged in undisciplined or unparliamentary behaviour. He described their approach as an example of “positive politics” and underlined that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, welcomes all who are committed to nation‑building. He further took a jibe at the Opposition alliance, calling it a “tukde‑tukde” coalition and suggesting that such formations should now bid farewell.

Political analysts say that bringing the BJP’s strength in the Rajya Sabha up to 113 members will give the party a more solid footing in the upper house, particularly when critical bills need to be steered through. Since the Rajya Sabha often becomes a decisive battleground in tight vote‑counts, this shift is being seen as a significant strategic gain for the BJP‑led NDA ahead of upcoming legislative business.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar