The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday replaced Raghav Chadha as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, and appointed Ashok Kumar Mittal as the new MP. The party has sent a formal letter informing the decision to the Rajya Sabha secretariat, the party said on Thursday.
While Raghav Chadha is yet to address the issue of removal, people familiar with the matter say the party’s decision stems from its “silence on AAP-related matters and absence from Arvind Kejriwal-led events”.
AAP leaders confirmed that a letter has been sent to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking removal of Chadha from her post in the Senate, according to PTI.
Chadha went silent under the scanner
According to PTI, party leaders claimed that Raghav Chadha’s silence during the arrest of Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia was a major issue.
When Kejriwal was arrested in March 2024, Chadha was abroad on medical grounds. However, despite his return to India, the Rajya Sabha MP stayed away from the issue and met Kejriwal a limited number of times.
Chadha has been outspoken on issues such as the condition of gig workers and rising airfares. He also raised other issues in Parliament, such as menstrual hygiene and the practice of ‘sarpanch patti’ or ‘panchayat patti’, where women elected to reserved panchayat seats often act as figureheads while their male relatives wield the real power.
Despite this, party leaders told PTI that the Rajya Sabha MP did not contribute much to party affairs or political campaigns, prompting AAP leaders to sideline Chadha.
Ashok Mittal replaces Raghav Chadha
Soon after AAP removed Chadha, the party in an official letter to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat appointed Ashok Kumar Mittal as the new deputy leader in the House.
Like Chadha, Mittal is also a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Punjab. He was elected to the House of Representatives in April 2022 and is part of several parliamentary committees, including the Defense Committee and the Finance Committee.
Speaking about the shift in leadership, Mittal told the media that finding an evolution is part of the “natural process” of the party.
He also told PTI that he was not aware of the rumors that Raghav Chadha would defect to the BJP after his removal from the Rajya Sabha.
Read also | Raghav Chadha’s cryptic response after AAP replaced him as deputy leader of Rajya Sabha
“Now, I have been given this role. Our party wants all MPs to learn, and perhaps in this context, I have been given this role so that I can learn processes and administrative skills in politics,” Mittal said, while downplaying the change and adding that the party remains strong.
Read also | ‘100 to 168 hours lost annually’: Raghav Chadha points out traffic crunch in metro and seeks national mission
Mittal added that Chadha’s role in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections will also be evaluated.
“Everyone gets time to speak in our party; it is a democratic process. Raghav Chadha will also be given time to speak in Rajya Sabha in the future,” Mittal added.
However, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat rejected Chadda’s request to speak in the house. According to reports, the Senate has not received any time allocation for this from AAP.
(With inputs from PTI)
