New Delhi, April 3 (NationPress) The recent estrangement of Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sparked considerable political discourse and speculation, yet those privy to the matter have remained tight-lipped about it.

Now, the situation has unfolded publicly.

His ousting as the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha seems to signal more than just a routine "administrative reshuffle"; it serves as an indication of underlying tensions within AAP.

This was further highlighted when the party urged the Chairman of the House not to allocate time to Chadha for presenting statements on significant public issues.

It appears that the party is concerned about Chadha's divergence from its core issues, as senior leader and former Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused him on Friday of focusing on “less significant” matters in Parliament rather than addressing “real issues” and failing to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In response, Chadha defended his parliamentary efforts as being related to public welfare.

Previous contradictions and disputes have led to several notable figures, who initially united in 2012 against corruption under AAP's banner, distancing themselves from the party, which has been led by Arvind Kejriwal.

Numerous leaders, founding members, and supporters have stepped away from the party, largely due to internal conflicts, disagreements, leadership approaches, and sometimes shifts in political allegiance.

Prominent figures who have departed include Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Ashutosh, Alka Lamba, Swati Maliwal, and Kumar Vishwas. Yadav, Bhushan, and Vishwas reportedly fell out with Kejriwal over concerns that AAP had forsaken its foundational principles of transparency, internal democracy, and alternative politics, opting instead for centralized power and personality-driven governance.

In early 2025, seven AAP MLAs resigned from their primary party membership shortly before the Delhi Assembly elections. A former aide indicated that many of Kejriwal's supporters expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership style, campaign tactics, and the party's internal operations.

Campaign strategies were imposed from the top, limiting the ability of local leaders and volunteers to tailor messaging to local contexts, as per the former AAP member.

This was viewed as a significant factor in AAP's disappointing performance in the 2025 election, where the party managed to secure only 22 out of 70 Delhi Assembly seats—a decline in 40 constituencies from the previous election. The BJP subsequently formed the government, winning 48 seats.

Many long-time allies, the former aide claimed, felt marginalized as Kejriwal increasingly consolidated decision-making powers within a small inner circle.

In May 2023, in response to reports linking him in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) chargesheet concerning the Delhi excise policy case, Chadha held a press conference where he vehemently defended himself. He described the media coverage as "factually incorrect" and part of a "propaganda" effort to tarnish his reputation.

Close associates of Kejriwal criticized Chadha for focusing on his defense rather than addressing the alleged defamation faced by the party’s leadership, including Kejriwal himself.

During the April-May 2024 protests against Kejriwal's arrest in the excise policy case, Chadha was notably absent, which party activists pointed out. However, he was in London for eye surgery at the time. Criticism mounted when it was noted that Chadha remained silent on the matter for several months.

In February of this year, he made headlines for not voicing his opinion when a Delhi court acquitted Kejriwal and his colleague, Manish Sisodia, in the same corruption case. While he later defended himself in a recent video statement, asserting he was “silenced but not defeated,” it remains to be seen what the future holds for the Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, whose term extends until September 2028.