NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday replaced Raghav Chadha as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha with Ashok Mittal, in a move that opposition leaders said indicated a rift in the party.
A letter was sent to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking to replace Chadha with Mittal, party leaders said. “The Rajya Sabha secretariat has been informed of the party’s decision,” Sanjay Singh, AAP’s house leader in Rajya Sabha, told reporters.
Party leaders described the decision as part of internal restructuring. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that the move was a result of Chadha “distancing himself” from the party’s national organizer and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“The way Raghav Chadha was replaced and sidelined shows that he has distanced himself from the chaotic and corrupt leadership of Arvind Kejriwal,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.
Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Waring said it was now clear that Chadda is separate from AAP, citing reports that Chadda was away from several public events led by Kejriwal.
“People realized this long ago, when he went to London during Kejriwal’s arrest. The general perception now is that Chadha will leave the party or be removed from it and join somewhere else,” the Punjab Congress president was quoted as saying by ANI.
When Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the tax policy case in March 2024, Chadha was absent from the protests and maintained that he was in London to have eye surgery.
Hours after being replaced as deputy leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha, Chaddha, who is yet to issue any statement or speak to the media on the issue, posted a video on social media highlighting the issues he raised in his role in the Senate.
The AAP currently has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha – seven from Punjab and three from Delhi. Chadha also represents Punjab in the Senate. With Punjab heading to assembly elections next year, the party wants to give more importance to state issues in Parliament, party insiders said.
Delhi BJP chief Sachdeva claimed that Chadha is the second AAP legislator, after Swati Maliwal, to have fallen out with the party leadership. “First it was Swati Maliwal and now Raghav Chadha, both key figures in AAP Delhi, who seem to have moved away from Kejriwal’s style of working,” he added.
Industrialist-turned-legislator Mittal, who replaces Chadha, a chartered accountant by profession, sought to downplay speculation of discord, describing the reshuffle as part of routine regulatory functioning.
“Raghav Chadha is our senior leader and will continue to be so. I have taken over from him just as he took over from ND Gupta earlier. AAP is a democratic party and believes in giving opportunities to different leaders to raise important issues,” Mittal said.
Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab also expressed his gratitude to his party.
“I am grateful to the party and Arvind Kejriwal for giving me this opportunity. With this change, we will be able to raise Punjab-related issues more effectively in Parliament, especially delays in funds and matters affecting the general public,” Mittal said.
