Meant to protect free speech from anti-defection law, ‘merger’ is now a defence for joining a rival party
Parliament has introduced a "merger" rule to address concerns about the misuse of anti-defection laws, which could be used to silence dissenting voices within political parties. The move follows allegations that Raghav Chadha, an MP from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and six other former AAP MPs have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by exploiting this loophole. The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution outlines the disqualification process for defections, with Paragraph 2(1)(a) stating that members belonging to any political party can be disqualified if they voluntarily leave their party.
26 APR 2026
— The Hindu
The Aam Aadmi Party experienced a setback as seven of its MPs joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, coinciding with Arvind Kejriwal's campaign visit to West Bengal.
27 APR 2026
— The Hindu
Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan accepted the merger of seven AAP MPs with the BJP, significantly increasing the BJP's strength in the Upper House.
— The Hindu
Seven AAP members joined the BJP, increasing the party's Rajya Sabha strength and prompting legal review by the Supreme Court.
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