Aam Aadmi Party Proposes Replacement of Raghav Chadha as Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader

AAP Seeks Change in Leadership

On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) submitted a request to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to remove Raghav Chadha from his position as deputy leader in the Upper House. The party has suggested Ashok Mittal as his successor.

This decision follows Chadha's noticeable absence from various party events. Notably, he did not respond publicly after a Delhi court acquitted former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the excise policy case earlier this year.

Chadha was also absent during a press conference led by Kejriwal at the party headquarters and missed a public meeting at Jantar Mantar where Kejriwal criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party.

This is not the first instance where Chadha has been criticized for his lack of involvement in party matters. He previously cited recovery from eye surgery in the UK as the reason for his absence when Kejriwal was arrested ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The call for Chadha's replacement came shortly after he commended the Udaan Yatri cafe at Mumbai airport, which operates under a BJP-led government.

At 37, Chadha is a member of AAP's Political Affairs Committee and has previously served as the party's national treasurer. He has been instrumental in coordinating the opposition INDIA bloc and currently oversees the party's operations in Punjab.

Chadha became a Rajya Sabha member after his tenure as a Delhi MLA, making him one of the youngest members of the Upper House. In 2023, he took over as the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha from Sanjay Singh.

AAP currently holds 10 seats in the Rajya Sabha, with seven representatives from Punjab and three from Delhi.