NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party has dropped Raghav Chadha as its Rajya Sabha deputy leader and named Ashok Mittal in his place. The party on Thursday sent a letter to the Rajya Sabha secretariat conveying the decision. By evening, the RS website reflected the change.Both Chadha and Mittal are from Punjab; AAP has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, including estranged MP Swati Maliwal. The party’s sudden decision to remove Chadha gave credence to the perception of a growing disconnect between him and the party’s top brass, led by Arvind Kejriwal. Once a trusted aide of Kejriwal, Chadha has, for some time, looked sidelined. His absence from events of the party supremo and his silence on various issues being raised by seniors in the party, despite being its national spokesperson in the recent past, also set rumour mills abuzz.Chadha’s silence after Kejriwal’s arrest was first sign of riftThe first signs that all was not well between the party leadership and Chadha came when Kejriwal, the then Delhi CM, was arrested in connection with the excise policy case in March 2024, and the RS MP — seen as Kejriwal’s close confidant — was absent. Though the party tried to quell the speculation by citing that Chadha was abroad for medical reasons, his prolonged absence and silence did not go down well with the AAP supremo.More recently, Chadha, who is otherwise a vociferous MP in the Parliament on issues related to public welfare, did not make any statement after Kejriwal and former deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia were acquitted by a Delhi court in the liquor case last month. He was also not present at Kejriwal’s press conference thereafter, and the rally at Jantar Mantar.Later in the day, Chadha shared a cryptic post on X where he put out a video compiling his speeches where he raised issues affecting the “ordinary Indians”, ranging from tax burden to rights of gig workers. He added an evil eye emoji to the post.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Amit Shah Of North-East, He Even Controls Congress’: Yashwant DeshmukhAs Iran War Jolts Pakistan’s Economy, India Acts as Key Stabiliser for NeighboursMEA Confirms India Attending UK-Hosted Meeting To Discuss Reopening Strait Of HormuzTamil Nadu Elections 2026: M.K. Stalin vs AIADMK — Will Vijay Be the X-Factor?Tejas Mk1A Delayed Again As GE Delivers Only 6 Engines Against Target’Energy Instability’: Navy Chief Tripathi Flags ‘Severe Economic Impact’ Of Hormuz Disruption’No Worries For India In Hormuz’: Says Iran, As Rajnath Singh Assures Navy’s Escort To Secure Supply’No Fuel Shortage, Navy Guards Tankers On Hormuz Route’: Rajnath Singh Signals India’s Readiness’Unprecedented, Decisive Action’: Rajnath Warns Pakistan Against Misadventure, Reminds Of Op SindoorIndian LPG Tanker Escapes Mined Hormuz Route, Sails Via Larak Amid War123PhotostoriesFrom reacting to husband Krushna Abhishek roasting her to working as Shiamak Davar’s dancer and bagging the SRK-Juhi starrer ‘Yes Boss,’ Kashmera Shah on her journeyHow to make protein-rich Sattu Paratha for breakfastBirds that change their feather colours for survivalFrom typhoons to blizzards: Strangest weather events in war historyBill Gates once said, “Success is a lousy teacher, it seduces smart people…”: 4 lessons it teaches studentsRERA penalties for real estate brokers in India (2026); from hefty fines to jail termsRaghav Chadha’s favourite Cheesy Mushroom Toast that is perfect for breakfastFrom Kate Hudson to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood stars who built successful businesses beyond acting6 foods you should store in the refrigerator door and why’Ramayana’ teaser breakdown: From Ranbir Kapoor’s Swayamvar to Yash’s hidden face as Ravana – Every key moment decoded123Hot PicksUAE healthcare rulesLeBron JamesNASA Artemis IIKristi Noem HusbandUS Iran WarPublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingiShowSpeed babyGood Friday 2026India Labour CodeRandy GeorgeLuigi MangioneGucci ManeRaghav ChaddaHailee SteinfeldSchool Holidays in AprilIran war news
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party has dropped Raghav Chadha as its Rajya Sabha deputy leader and named Ashok Mittal in his place. The party on Thursday sent a letter to the Rajya Sabha secretariat conveying the decision. By evening, the RS website reflected the change.Both Chadha and Mittal are from Punjab; AAP has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, including estranged MP Swati Maliwal. The party’s sudden decision to remove Chadha gave credence to the perception of a growing disconnect between him and the party’s top brass, led by Arvind Kejriwal.
Once a trusted aide of Kejriwal, Chadha has, for some time, looked sidelined. His absence from events of the party supremo and his silence on various issues being raised by seniors in the party, despite being its national spokesperson in the recent past, also set rumour mills abuzz.
Chadha’s silence after Kejriwal’s arrest was first sign of rift
The first signs that all was not well between the party leadership and Chadha came when Kejriwal, the then Delhi CM, was arrested in connection with the excise policy case in March 2024, and the RS MP — seen as Kejriwal’s close confidant — was absent. Though the party tried to quell the speculation by citing that Chadha was abroad for medical reasons, his prolonged absence and silence did not go down well with the AAP supremo.More recently, Chadha, who is otherwise a vociferous MP in the Parliament on issues related to public welfare, did not make any statement after Kejriwal and former deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia were acquitted by a Delhi court in the liquor case last month. He was also not present at Kejriwal’s press conference thereafter, and the rally at Jantar Mantar.Later in the day, Chadha shared a cryptic post on X where he put out a video compiling his speeches where he raised issues affecting the “ordinary Indians”, ranging from tax burden to rights of gig workers. He added an evil eye emoji to the post.
