Big jolt for Raghav Chadha: AAP moves to oust him, backs Ashok Mittal; seeks to deny speaking time too

A sudden political twist is brewing inside Aam Aadmi Party, and it revolves around one of its most recognisable young faces, Raghav Chadha. It looked like a routine parliamentary arrangement earlier but now has now turned into a quiet but significant reshuffle that is raising eyebrows in political circles.

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A letter that changed the mood

According to reports, the party has written to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat asking for Chadha’s removal as deputy leader of the party in the Upper House. But the move did not stop there. The communication also reportedly requested that Chadha should not be given speaking time from AAP’s quota.

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Ashok Kumar Mittal to be the new Deputy Leader of AAP in Rajya Sabha. AAP has sent an official letter on this to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pic.twitter.com/9XBByWOLpA

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This double request has sparked speculation that the party is recalibrating its parliamentary strategy.

While no official explanation has been made public, insiders describe the development as a “structural adjustment” rather than a disciplinary move.

New name for deputy leader

The party has proposed Ashok Mittal as the new deputy leader in the Upper House and has urged the Secretariat to formalise the appointment soon. If approved, Mittal will step into a key role in managing the party’s voice during debates.

AAP currently has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, seven from Punjab and three from Delhi, making the deputy leader’s role crucial for coordination and floor management.

Chadha’s long journey in AAP

Chadha’s rise within party has been swift and closely linked with core leadership. He began working with Arvind Kejriwal during Delhi Lokpal movement in 2012 and soon became one of party’s most visible faces.

After AAP’s victory in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, he became the party’s youngest treasurer and later served as national spokesperson. He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from South Delhi but lost to Ramesh Bidhuri.

However, he bounced back in 2020 by winning the Rajendra Nagar Assembly seat and later served as vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board.

Youngest Rajya Sabha MP

In 2022, Chadha entered Rajya Sabha from Punjab at just 33. He became one of the youngest MPs in the Upper House. Since then he has played active role in parliamentary matters. He has often worked alongside senior leaders like Manish Sisodia and Bhagwant Mann.

For now, the party has not publicly commented on the reasons behind the reshuffle. But in Delhi’s political corridors, people are already seeing the move as strategic reset.