AAP writes to Rajya Sabha Secretariat to remove Raghav Chadha as deputy leader

According to party sources, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday, April 2, 2026, submitted a letter to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to appoint MP Ashok Mittal as the Deputy Leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, replacing MP Raghav Chadha.

According to the sources cited PTIThe letter also states that Mr. Chadha, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, should not be allotted time to address the House from AAP’s quota.

The move comes amid Mr. Chadha’s prolonged silence on AAP-related issues and his absence from various public events conducted by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Mr. Chadha, once considered a close confidant of Mr. Kejriwal and among the youngest MPs in the country, had played a key role in party affairs, especially in Punjab, and throughout AAP’s tenure in Delhi.

Party leaders claimed that Mr Chadha was increasingly excluded from political campaigns in other states and the party’s organizational affairs, but was vocal in and outside Parliament, raising issues such as high-profile airfares and the plight of gig workers.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Mittal said the party’s national convenor has entrusted him with the role of deputy leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha and he will discharge his duties sincerely and strongly present both the party’s stand and the national interest in the Parliament.

Downplaying the change, he described it as a routine process and noted that earlier ND Gupta was the deputy leader of the party in the Upper House, after which the responsibility was given to Mr. Chadha.

“Now I have been given this role. Our party wants all MPs to learn and probably in this context I have been given this role so that I can learn the processes and management skills in politics,” he said, adding that the party remains strong.

AAP currently has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, seven from Punjab and three from Delhi.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)