With seven of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs moving to the BJP, including six from Punjab, the party now has its highest-ever representation in the Upper House of Parliament from the state, marking a shift in a state where it has struggled for political space. From 1998 to 2022, the party had only four Rajya Sabha MPs from the state: Lajpat Rai (1998–2004), Gurcharan Kaur (2001–2004), Avinash Rai Khanna (2010–2016), and Shwait Malik (2016–2022). This was largely because it was a junior alliance partner to the Shiromani Akali Dal between 1996 and 2020, contesting only 3 of 13 Lok Sabha seats and 23 of 117 Assembly seats that limited its Upper House footprint. Even at present, the most prominent face from Punjab and Union MoS, Ravneet Singh Bittu, represents the BJP in the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, while Satnam Singh Sandhu is a nominated member.…