Vinay Kumar
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party has written to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat seeking the removal of Raghav Chadha from the post of deputy leader of the party in the Upper House, sources told news agency PTI.In its communication, the party also requested that Chadha should not be allotted speaking time from AAP’s quota in the Rajya Sabha, indicating a significant shift in its parliamentary strategy.
The AAP has proposed Ashok Mittal as the new deputy leader in the Upper House and urged the secretariat to formalise the appointment at the earliest.The party currently has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, including seven from Punjab and three from Delhi.Raghav Chadha, who is Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab has been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party since its inception, beginning his career working with Arvind Kejriwal on the Delhi Lokpal Bill in 2012. He rose quickly within the party, becoming a national spokesperson and later its youngest treasurer after AAP’s 2015 Delhi poll win.He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from South Delhi but lost to Ramesh Bidhuri, before winning the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections from Rajendra Nagar. He later served as vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board.In 2022, Chadha became the youngest Rajya Sabha MP at 33 and has since played a key role in AAP’s parliamentary and organisational affairs, working alongside leaders like Manish Sisodia and Bhagwant Mann.In 2023, AAP designated him as its leader in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Sanjay Singh.Raghav Chadha has frequently made headlines for raising key public issues in the House.Last month, he flagged concerns over the practice of “sarpanch pati” or “panchayat pati,” where women elected to reserved Panchayat seats often remain figureheads while real authority is exercised by male relatives. He urged the government to ensure that women representatives are able to function independently, in line with the intent of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
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Chadha had also highlighted menstrual hygiene in Parliament, calling it an issue of health, education, and equality impacting over 35 crore women and girls. He argued that lack of access to sanitary pads, water, and privacy forcing girls to miss school reflects a systemic failure, not a personal issue, and criticised the social stigma around a natural biological process.Earlier this year, amid protests by gig workers, he spent a day working as a delivery partner to better understand the pressures and challenges faced by those in the sector.Read also: Who is Ashok Mittal? LPU founder-turned MP who replaces Raghav Chadha as AAP’s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha
