The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has moved to replace Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha as its deputy leader in the Upper House, proposing Punjab MP Ashok Mittal for the role, sources said on Thursday.
According to sources, the party has written to the Rajya Sabha secretariat requesting Chadha’s removal from the post and indicating that he should no longer be allotted speaking time under AAP’s quota in the House.
The development comes amid Chadha’s prolonged absence from several party activities and his silence on key political developments involving the AAP. Once considered a close aide of party chief Arvind Kejriwal and a prominent face of the party, Chadha had played a significant role in AAP’s organisational and political strategy, particularly in Punjab and Delhi.
However, in recent months, his visibility within the party has reportedly declined. Chadha was abroad for medical treatment during the arrest of Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case in March 2024 and remained away during his incarceration, meeting him only after his release in September that year.
He also remained silent following a Delhi court’s decision last month granting relief to Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and others in the same case. Chadha did not attend the subsequent press conference or rally held at Jantar Mantar.
Party insiders suggest that Chadha has been gradually sidelined from organisational matters and political campaigns, though he continues to raise public issues such as high airfares and concerns of gig workers both inside and outside Parliament.
Responding to the development, Ashok Mittal said he had been entrusted with the responsibility by the party’s national leadership and would work diligently to represent both the party’s position and national interests in the Rajya Sabha.
Mittal downplayed the move, calling it a routine organisational change. He noted that leadership roles within the party have evolved over time, with N.D. Gupta previously holding the position before Chadha.
The AAP currently has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, including seven from Punjab and three from Delhi.
