Full Breakdown
Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Defect to BJP, Shifting Upper-House Balance
4/27/2026, 10:27:10 PM
Defections Shift Upper-House Balance in Favor of BJP
On 25 April 2026, seven AAP members of the Rajya Sabha resigned and joined the BJP. The move lifted the BJP’s strength to 113 seats in the 245-member chamber, leaving it short of a majority but narrowing the gap for the National Democratic Alliance, which now commands roughly 140 seats.
Upper-House Structure and AAP’s Pre-Defection Position
The Rajya Sabha’s 245 members are elected for six-year terms by state legislatures using proportional representation. Before the switch, AAP held ten seats, now reduced to three. AAP governs Punjab and formerly Delhi; Punjab’s state election is set for 2027. The BJP controls 19 of India’s 28 states and two of three union territories with legislatures.
Principal Actors
Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads the BJP. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal heads the party that lost the MPs. Defectors include former cricketer Harbhajan Singh and ex-deputy leader Raghav Chadha. Senior AAP figure Sanjay Singh is filing a disqualification petition. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring warned of further defections.
Seat Distribution After the Switch
The Rajya Sabha now has 113 BJP seats, ten below a majority, and about 140 for the NDA coalition. AAP’s tally fell to three seats, down from ten. The seven defectors represent roughly two-thirds of AAP’s former upper-house strength.
Party Responses and Legal Action
AAP will petition the Rajya Sabha chairman to disqualify the seven MPs under the anti-defection law. Senior leader Sanjay Singh called the switch “completely unconstitutional and illegal.” The BJP has not issued a public response.
Opposition Critiques
AAP labeled the defectors “opportunistic” and said they abandoned the party’s ideals. Raghav Chadha, after joining the BJP, accused “the party” of being run by “corrupt and compromised” people, underscoring dissent. Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring questioned AAP’s coherence and warned that many MLAs could follow the MPs.
Legal Dispute Over Anti-Defection Rules
Sanjay Singh says the anti-defection law bars any split or faction, regardless of a two-thirds majority. Chadha counters that “more than two-thirds of them are with us in this initiative,” implying the merger is legal. The issue awaits a higher-court ruling.
Verbatim Quotes
- “corrupt and compromised” — Raghav Chadha, former AAP MP.
- “Anti-defection law clearly states that any type of split or faction cannot happen in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. It does not carry any legal recognition, even if it's a two-thirds majority,” — Sanjay Singh, senior AAP leader.
- “In the Rajya Sabha, the Aam Aadmi Party has 10 MPs. More than two-thirds of them are with us in this initiative,” — Raghav Chadha, former AAP MP.
- “Only MPs have left so far, but many MLAs could also move to the BJP,” — Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Punjab Congress president.
Future Outlook
The Rajya Sabha chairman will consider AAP’s disqualification petition while the higher court examines the anti-defection challenge. Punjab’s 2027 state election approaches, and both the BJP and opposition are watching for additional AAP legislators who might switch allegiance.
