India, April 24 -- Days after he had a public falling out with the Aam Aadmi Party, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Friday left the party he co-founded, and "merged" with the Centre's ruling BJP - as did six other AAP MPs from the Upper House of Parliament. The verb "merged" is important here.

Had Chadha quit the AAP alone, he would have lost his Rajya Sabha membership under the anti-defection law. The general rule is that a legislator is disqualified if (s)he gives up the party membership, or votes against the party whip.

But, under the Constitution's Tenth Schedule, a member of the Rajya Sabha is exempt from anti-defection disqualification if two-thirds of his/her party's legislators together agree to merge with another party.

AAP ha...