Raghav Chadha, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP, has been replaced as the party's deputy speaker in the House by Ashok Mittal, sparking speculation of internal rift within the party.
Party leaders described the decision as part of internal restructuring, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed the move was due to Chadha distancing himself from party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Ashok Mittal, the founder chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU), has taken over as the new deputy speaker. He is a chartered accountant by profession and a law graduate from Guru Nanak Dev University.
Mittal said the move was a normal process of the party and denied any internal rift, adding that he will be able to raise issues concerning Punjab more effectively in Parliament.
