New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has removed Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha from his role as Deputy Leader in the Upper House.
The party formally informed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Thursday, requesting that Chadha no longer be allotted time to speak on behalf of AAP during parliamentary proceedings. It has proposed appointing MP Ashok Mittal as the new Deputy Leader, replacing Chadha with immediate effect. Mittal, an AAP MP from Punjab, entered politics after the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, securing an uncontested Rajya Sabha seat. He previously served as the chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU).
This comes amid growing speculation over Chadha’s conspicuous absence from AAP events and rising rumours of a possible exit from the party. His silence following the relief granted to Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case had further fuelled talk of internal discord and a potential shift in his political allegiance
A chartered accountant, Chadha joined the Aam Aadmi Party at its inception in 2012 and rose rapidly through its ranks. He became one of the party’s most prominent faces, playing a key role in coordinating opposition strategies and serving as its articulate voice in public debates. He held critical positions, including national treasurer and membership in the party’s highest decision-making body, the Political Affairs Committee.
Following AAP’s victory in Punjab under Bhagwant Mann, he was widely seen as the party’s de facto number two.
The turning point in Chadha’s political trajectory came during Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in 2024. While AAP leaders protested on the streets and mobilised public support, Chadha was notably absent, reportedly in London for medical reasons. His subsequent silence appeared more like controlled disengagement even as he was simultaneously amplifying his presence by raising public-interest issues.
Political analysts attribute the move to a possible trust deficit with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and his diminished influence in Punjab.
