Goa, April 27 -- Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan has formally accepted the merger of seven former Aam Aadmi Party MPs - Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal and Rajinder Gupta, with the Bharatiya Janata Party, marking a major realignment in the Upper House. The BJP's tally has now risen to 113, strengthening the NDA's position as the party prepares for the next phase of legislative business under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The move follows the group's dramatic exit from the AAP on April 24, when they announced their departure in a single coordinated statement. Six of the seven MPs are from Punjab, leaving the AAP with just one Rajya Sabha member from the state - Ba...