New Delhi, Apr 02, 2026: Raghav Chadha has been removed as the Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha deputy leader and replaced by Punjab MP Ashok Mittal. The decision was announced on April 2, 2026, by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.
The move marks a significant change in the party’s leadership structure in the Rajya Sabha, where AAP currently has 10 members.
Ashok Mittal, who has now been appointed as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, is the chancellor of Lovely Professional University. AAP MP Sanjay Singh continues to serve as the party’s leader in the House.
The party currently has seven Rajya Sabha members from Punjab and three from Delhi, making it the fourth-largest party in the Upper House after the BJP, Congress, and Trinamool Congress.
The development is considered significant as Raghav Chadha was once seen as one of the party’s key leaders and a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal. He has been associated with the party since its early days and held several important roles.
Chadha joined the party during the final phase of the India Against Corruption movement and was involved in drafting the Delhi Lokpal Bill. He later became the party’s national spokesperson and appeared regularly in television debates.
At the age of 26, he was appointed AAP’s national treasurer. In the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, he was elected from the Rajinder Nagar constituency and was later appointed vice chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. In 2022, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
While the party has not officially stated the reason for his removal from the deputy leader position, there has been speculation about his role in the party in recent months.
Despite this, Chadha has continued raising issues in the Rajya Sabha, including high food prices at airports, gig workers’ rights, and traffic congestion in major cities.
Ashok Mittal thanked Arvind Kejriwal for the responsibility and said the party provides opportunities for leaders to take up different roles. He noted that ND Gupta earlier held the position before Chadha.
There has been no official statement from Raghav Chadha regarding the change so far.
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