The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has initiated formal proceedings to seek the disqualification of seven of its Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament who resigned from the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move comes a day after the mass defection, which reduced AAP’s strength in the Upper House from ten to three and triggered a significant political crisis for the party at both the national and state levels.According to The Indian Express, senior AAP MP Sanjay Singh announced that the party would write to the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President, seeking the disqualification of the seven MPs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Singh asserted that the anti-defection law does not recognise any form of split or breakaway faction, regardless of whether a two-thirds majority is achieved.As reported by Hindustan Times, AAP’s approach includes separate petitions to the Rajya Sabha chairman, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, and President Droupadi Murmu. The party leadership is also seeking a formal “recall” of the defected MPs, although constitutional experts have clarified that no such recall provision exists under current law.As highlighted by Deccan Herald, the defection has intensified the perception crisis for AAP, especially with assembly elections in Punjab approaching. The party’s immediate challenge is to maintain unity among its remaining legislators and counter the narrative of instability following the high-profile exits.Coverage revealed that AAP workers staged protests outside the residences of the defected MPs, including Harbhajan Singh and Ashok Mittal, with slogans and graffiti condemning the departures. The party leadership has publicly framed the defections as unconstitutional and a betrayal of AAP’s founding principles.“Anti-defection law clearly states that no form of split is permissible in the Assembly, Rajya Sabha, or Lok Sabha. It does not carry any legal recognition, even if it's a two-thirds majority. Therefore, the defection of these seven Rajya Sabha MPs from the AAP is entirely illegal, incorrect, unconstitutional, and against parliamentary rules,” Sanjay Singh stated.In the aftermath, analysis showed that the Punjab government withdrew Z+ security cover for Harbhajan Singh, one of the defected MPs, while the Centre deployed CRPF personnel to maintain his protection. This administrative response underscores the heightened tensions and the political significance of the defections.Party sources indicated that internal calculations are underway regarding the numbers required for any potential split in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, with AAP leadership urging MLAs to publicly condemn the defectors and reaffirm loyalty to the party.The constitutional debate has been further clarified by legal experts, who emphasised at the end that a merger is only valid if the party itself passes a resolution to that effect, not merely by a group of MPs acting independently. The defected MPs, led by Raghav Chadha, have claimed a two-thirds majority, but this argument has been rejected by AAP and constitutional authorities.“Anyone cannot simply merge on their own. The Constitution says that first the political party must take a decision at the organisational level, pass a resolution deciding that as a political party they want to merge with the BJP, and only then can it be done,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal was quoted as saying.Meanwhile, reporting indicated that the BJP has dismissed AAP’s allegations, stating that the defected MPs acted out of conscience and longstanding dissatisfaction with the party’s direction. The political standoff continues as AAP pursues its petitions and public campaign against the defectors.Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.