New Delhi, April 2
Aam Aadmi Party MP Ashok Mittal is set to become the party’s new deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha, after the party formally conveyed the change to the Upper House secretariat, sources said on Thursday. According to sources, the communication sent by the party not only names Mittal for the post but also makes it clear that Chadha should no longer be accommodated for speeches under AAP’s allotted time in the House.
Mittal, speaking to reporters, confirmed that he had been entrusted with the responsibility by the party leadership. He said he would carry out the assignment with sincerity and ensure that both the party’s views and wider national concerns were put forward strongly in the Rajya Sabha.
The decision is being seen as a significant shift within the party’s parliamentary ranks, particularly because Chadha was once regarded as one of AAP’s most prominent young faces and a trusted member of Arvind Kejriwal’s inner circle.
For several years, Chadha played an active role in the party’s affairs, especially in Punjab, and was widely seen as one of the leaders shaping AAP’s political messaging in Delhi and beyond. But his position within the organisation appears to have weakened over the past few months.
Questions over his role had grown after he remained largely absent during some of the party’s most politically sensitive moments. When Kejriwal, then Delhi Chief Minister, was arrested in the excise policy case in March 2024, Chadha was overseas for medical treatment. He stayed away for much of the period during which Kejriwal was in jail and met him only after his release later that year.
Within the party, some leaders have suggested that Chadha has gradually been pushed out of campaign activity and organisational responsibilities in states outside Punjab and Delhi. Even so, he has continued to raise public-interest issues inside and outside Parliament, including concerns over expensive air tickets and the working conditions of gig workers.
He played down the development, describing it as part of the party’s internal functioning rather than a major political message. Mittal said the position had earlier been held by N D Gupta before Chadha, and added that AAP wanted its MPs to gain experience in different roles over time.
The party currently has 10 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, with seven representing Punjab and three from Delhi.
