The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha are in a public dispute that has escalated from an internal decision to remove him as deputy leader to a series of allegations and counterclaims.
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Who Is Raghav Chadha
Raghav Chadha is a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from the Aam Aadmi Party and was recently removed as the party’s deputy leader in the House.
He was born on 11 November 1988 in New Delhi and is a Chartered Accountant by profession. He studied at Modern School, Barakhamba Road, and graduated from the University of Delhi. He has also pursued an executive programme at the London School of Economics.
Before entering politics, he worked with consulting firms including Deloitte and Grant Thornton.
He became associated with public life during the India Against Corruption movement in 2011 and joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012.
Within the party, he has served as National Treasurer, Vice Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, and as an MLA from Rajinder Nagar.
In 2022, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.
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The Trigger: A Key Removal
Raghav Chadha was removed as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party.
On 2 April 2026, the party wrote to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking his removal and requested that he not be allotted speaking time from its quota.
He was replaced by fellow Punjab MP Ashok Mittal.
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What AAP Is Saying
AAP leaders alleged that Chadha was engaging in “soft PR” and not raising issues aligned with the party’s position in Parliament.
They also said he did not participate in Opposition walkouts and did not sign certain notices.
Some leaders added that he did not raise key concerns related to Punjab, including GST losses and farmers’ issues.
They also questioned his absence during key political moments and protests.
What Raghav Chadha Said
Raghav Chadha denied the allegations and called them “lies” and “baseless”.
He said a coordinated attack was being carried out against him.
He stated that he goes to Parliament to raise public issues, not to create disruption.
He also said he had followed party directions and supported Opposition actions.
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The Timeline: How It Escalated
2 April 2026: AAP wrote to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking his removal and limiting his speaking role
3 April 2026: Chadha released a video defending his record
After that: Senior AAP leaders publicly criticised him, escalating the dispute
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Political Reactions
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu criticised the development, calling it a sign of internal discord within AAP.
He alleged that Chadha earlier raised funds for the party and claimed that role had ended.
He also described AAP as a “use and throw” outfit and questioned its internal functioning.
Former AAP leader Naveen Jaihind made allegations that the dispute involved money and claimed Chadha took funds abroad.
AAP has not responded to these claims.
Raghav Chadha denied all allegations and called them politically motivated.
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Is Raghav Chadha’s Rajya Sabha Seat At Risk
Raghav Chadha’s position as a Rajya Sabha MP remains unchanged. His term runs until 2028, and a political party cannot remove a member from Parliament. It can only remove them from internal party posts, which has already happened in this case.
Under India’s anti-defection law, a Member of Parliament can lose their seat only if they voluntarily give up party membership or defy the party whip during a vote in the House.
Courts have held that “voluntarily giving up membership” does not always require a formal resignation and can be inferred from conduct.
The final decision in such cases rests with the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
