Navneet Chaturvedi has filed an interim stay application before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in connection with the ongoing Election Petition EP-2/2025, seeking limited interim relief against Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta in relation to the recent merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha members into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was officially acknowledged by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on April 27, 2026.

According to the application, Chaturvedi has requested the High Court to direct that Rajinder Gupta’s name be excluded from the merger list until the final disposal of the pending election petition challenging his election. The matter has been listed before the High Court on May 22, 2026 as CM No. 16-E of 2026.

Following the Rajya Sabha Secretariat’s acknowledgment of the merger, Chaturvedi submitted a written representation to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, stating that Rajinder Gupta’s election is already under challenge before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In his representation, he requested that an official note be recorded clarifying that Gupta’s merger status remains subject to the outcome of the pending election petition.

Subsequently, Chaturvedi also filed a caveat before the Supreme Court, anticipating the possibility of legal proceedings arising out of any challenge to the Rajya Sabha merger by the Aam Aadmi Party. Through the caveat, he sought an opportunity to present his submissions in any such proceedings.

In the interim application, Chaturvedi clarified that he is not challenging the overall parliamentary process or the merger decision concerning the other six Rajya Sabha members. His objection, he stated, is narrowly confined to Rajinder Gupta due to the pendency of the election petition against him.

The application further states that Gupta’s shift in political affiliation from the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP has substantially altered the nature of the pending election dispute. Chaturvedi contended that the grievances raised in the election petition are intrinsically linked to Gupta contesting the election as an AAP candidate.

According to the plea, if the High Court eventually sets aside Gupta’s election, practical complications may arise in implementing such an order now that Gupta is no longer associated with the AAP.

The notice in the election petition has already been served upon Rajinder Gupta. However, according to the filing, no written statement has yet been submitted on behalf of Gupta by Senior Advocate Satyapal Jain, who is representing him in the matter. Chaturvedi’s counsel has also confirmed that a copy of the interim stay application has already been supplied to Gupta’s legal team.

Advocate Amandeep Singh Saini, counsel for Navneet Chaturvedi, stated, “We are not challenging the parliamentary process or the decision of the Rajya Sabha Chairman. Our demand is very specific and limited to Rajinder Gupta only. We are requesting that his candidature be excluded from the merger list till the disposal of the election petition pending before the Hon’ble High Court. We believe this is a legitimate and legally sustainable request.”