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Silence, absence and more: Why AAP dropped Raghav Chadha as deputy leader in Rajya Sabha?
According to a PTI report, people familiar with the matter have cited Punjab MP Ashok Mittal as a probable replacement for Chadha.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday replaced Raghav Chadha as the deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, naming Ashok Kumar Mittal as the new deputy in the Upper House. The party has sent an official letter informing the decision to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, it said on Thursday.
While Raghav Chadha is yet to address this removal, people familiar with the matter say the party's decision stems from his "silence on matters related to AAP and absence from events led by Arvind Kejriwal."
AAP leaders have confirmed that a letter was sent to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking the removal of Chadha from the post in the Upper House, according to PTI.
Chadha's silence under scanner
As per PTI, party leaders have claimed that Raghav Chadha's silence during the arrest of Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia has been a key issue.
When Kejriwal was arrested in March 2024, Chadha was abroad for medical reasons. However, despite his return to India, the Rajya Sabha MP stayed away from the case and met Kejriwal a limited number of times.
Chadha has been vocal about issues such as the condition of gig workers and high air fares. He has also raised other issues in the Parliament, such as menstrual hygiene and the practice of "sarpanch pati" or "panchayat pati," where women elected to reserved Panchayat seats often serve as figureheads while real power is exercised by their male relatives.
Despite this, party leaders told PTI that the Rajya Sabha MP has not contributed much to party matters or political campaigns, leading AAP leaders to sideline Chadha.
Ashook Mittal replaces Raghav Chadha
Soon after AAP removing Chadha, the party in an official letter to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, named Ashok Kumar Mittal as the new Deputy Leader in the House.
Like Chadha, Mittal is also a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab. He was elected to the House in April 2022 and is part of several parliamentary committees, including the Committee on Defence, and the Committee on Finance.
Addressing the shift in leadership, Mittal told the media that finding a development was part of the "normal process" of the party.
He further told PTI that he had no knowledge of the rumours that Raghav Chadha would defect to the BJP after his removal from the Rajya Sabha.
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"Now, I have been given this role. Our party wants all MPs to learn, and probably in that context, I have been given this role so that I can learn the processes and administrative skills in politics," Mittal said while downplaying the change and adding that the party remains strong.
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Mittal added that Chadha's role in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections will also be evaluated.
“Everyone gets time to speak at our party; it is a democratic process. Raghav Chadha will also be given time to speak in the Rajya Sabha in the future,” Mittal added further.
However, Rajya Sabha's secretariat has denied Chadha's request to speak in the house. According to reports, the upper house received no time allocation for the same from AAP.
(With inputs from PTI)
