Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Join BJP
Defections trigger political standoff as Bhagwant Mann plans to raise recall demand amid protests and legal debate
CHANDIGARH— Bhagwant Singh Mann has sought an appointment with Droupadi Murmu to press for action following the defection of seven Rajya Sabha members from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to sources, Mann plans to meet the President along with party MLAs to present his position and seek the recall of the MPs who recently switched allegiance.
The development follows the announcement by seven AAP Rajya Sabha members—Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal and Vikramjit Sahney—that they were leaving AAP to join the BJP. Except for Maliwal, the MPs represent Punjab in the Upper House.
Legal experts note that the defections may not attract disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, as the group constitutes more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha members—a threshold that allows a merger without penalty under existing provisions. A smaller number of defectors would have faced disqualification.
Meanwhile, protests erupted in parts of Punjab, with AAP workers demonstrating outside the residences and offices of some of the MPs, including Rajinder Gupta in Ludhiana and Ashok Mittal and Harbhajan Singh in Jalandhar.
Mann criticized the defections, alleging that the BJP has sought to weaken regional parties through inducements and political pressure. He also linked the developments to recent legislative actions in Punjab, including stricter laws addressing sacrilege, which he said have drawn opposition.
“The people of Punjab will not forget this betrayal,” Mann told reporters, accusing defecting leaders of acting in their own interests.
The Chief Minister further alleged that similar political strategies have been used by the BJP in other states to divide regional parties, naming leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Naveen Patnaik, Dushyant Chautala and Nitish Kumar as examples of leaders facing similar pressures.
The BJP has not yet issued a detailed response to Mann’s latest remarks.
The situation sets up a potential constitutional and political confrontation, as the scope for recalling Rajya Sabha members remains limited under current law. The outcome may depend on both legal interpretation and political negotiations in the coming weeks. (Source: IANS)
