The Aam Aadmi Party executed a sudden internal shakeup ahead of the upcoming parliamentary sessions on Thursday. The party officially removed Raghav Chadha from his post as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha.
This structural adjustment actively mutes one of the party’s most visible young leaders on the national legislative floor. AAP appointed Ashok Kumar Mittal, a fellow MP from Punjab and the founder of Lovely Professional University, to fill the leadership vacancy.
The party formalized the transition through an official letter sent to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. The communication went beyond a simple leadership swap. AAP specifically requested that Chadha no longer receive allotted speaking time in the House from the party’s parliamentary quota.
AAP currently holds 10 seats in the Upper House. Seven members represent Punjab. Three represent Delhi. The Deputy Leader coordinates strategy and manages the legislative voice across this entire bloc.
Both Chadha and Mittal entered the Upper House in April 2022 representing Punjab. Party insiders framed the move as a structural adjustment rather than a disciplinary expulsion.
Chadha is actively seeking a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha following the reshuffle and the move to cut his speaking time.
AAP sacks MP Raghav Chadha as Deputy Leader of the party in Rajya Sabha .
Asks the RS secretariat to not allow him to speak in Rajya Sabha . pic.twitter.com/r04pKsvE5Z— Panther?? (@Panther7112) April 2, 2026
This reshuffle heavily impacts how AAP will address world and domestic issues on the floor.
What the Speaking Time Cut Means for AAP’s Floor Strategy
Removing a prominent speaker’s allotted time fundamentally alters a party’s offensive capability during parliamentary debates. The Aam Aadmi Party relies heavily on vocal, viral moments from the Rajya Sabha floor to drive its national messaging strategy.
Mittal brings a different background to the leadership role. His experience is rooted in education and institutional management as the founder of LPU. Chadha previously utilized his speaking time to directly confront opposition policies and raise systemic issues like menstrual hygiene access and local governance structures.
Revoking that specific speaking quota forces a tactical pivot. AAP must now rely on Mittal and the remaining eight members to execute floor coordination and handle rapid-response debate tactics during the 2026 sessions.