A proposal from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may receive legal protection under the anti-defection law if the essential two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha is achieved, as explained by Supreme Court advocate Chitranshul Sinha during an interview with CNBC-TV18.
Sinha noted that according to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, Chadha’s assertion seems legally viable at this point, contingent on the completion of formal merger procedures. “Legally, per the 10th Schedule, he has a valid argument,” Sinha stated, clarifying that this situation involves a merger rather than merely resigning and joining another party.
On Friday, Chadha revealed that he and six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs plan to join the BJP, which would satisfy the two-thirds requirement in the Upper House, where AAP currently has 10 members. Sinha added that if these MPs have indeed met the necessary threshold and provided the required paperwork to the Rajya Sabha Chairperson, the anti-defection law would no longer apply to them once the merger is officially acknowledged.
First Published: Apr 24, 2026 10:14 PM IST
