BJP's number in Rajya Sabha increases to 113 due to AAP's exit.

New Delhi: On Monday, the Rajya Sabha announced a new list of party positions following the departure of seven members from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). These members have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), increasing their representation in the House from 107 to 113 members. On the other hand, the AAP's representation has decreased to only three members.

Last week, Raghav Chadha, Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta, and Vikram Sahni revealed their decision to leave the AAP and join the BJP. This move has further strengthened the BJP's presence in the Upper House of Parliament, leaving only three members of the AAP - Sanjay Singh, Narain Dass Gupta, and Sant Balbir Singh - representing the party in the Rajya Sabha. Interestingly, the group of defectors constituted a two-thirds majority of the AAP's Rajya Sabha members.

According to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, added by the 52nd Amendment in 1985, members are not allowed to defect. However, there is an exception for "mergers". If two-thirds of a party's elected members agree to merge with another party, they are not disqualified, and even the members who choose to remain in the original party are not affected.

This is the rule that Chadha and the six others cited to justify their merger. Chadha took to social media earlier in the day to explain his reasons for leaving the AAP. He alleged that the party had become "toxic" and stated that joining the BJP would allow him to effectively implement the causes he supports.

He shared a video message on Instagram - a popular platform among Gen Z users - where he reportedly lost around two million followers due to what is being seen as an online backlash from the youth. In the video, Chadha expressed his gratitude to all those who have supported him and addressed the questions about his decision to leave the party. "Before entering politics, I was a practising Chartered Accountant.

However, I left my career to join politics and became a founding member of a party. I dedicated 15 years of my youth to this party, nurturing it with my own blood, sweat, and hard work," he said. However, he went on to say that the party has changed significantly over time.

"Today, this party is no longer the same. It is plagued by a toxic work environment where one is prevented from doing their work and speaking in Parliament. It has fallen into the hands of a few corrupt and compromised individuals who care more about their personal gain than the nation," Chadha added.

He also reflected on his internal struggle over the past few years, stating that he started feeling like "the right man in the wrong party". "I had three options - to quit politics altogether, to try to fix things within the party (which turned out to be impossible), or to join a different platform and engage in positive politics. I chose the third option, and I was not alone in this decision.

It was a collective decision taken by seven MPs," he explained. Chadha also defended the group's decision, questioning the criticism they have faced for their move. In conclusion, he stated that he is looking forward to practicing constructive politics and aligning himself with a different party.

This news was originally published by Orissa POST - Odisha's No.1 English Daily.