Rajya Sabha Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankar, has declined the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) plea to designate Raghav Chadha as the interim leader in the Upper House of Parliament, India Today reported on Friday citing its Congress sources. In response to AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal's letter proposing Chadha's appointment as the party's interim leader in the Rajya Sabha, Dhankar cited the 'The Leaders and Chief Whips of Recognised Parties and Groups in Parliament (Facilities) Act. 1998' and its associated rules. Dhankar stated, "The request, not being in conformity to the applicable legal regime, is not being acceded to."
Following the Chairman's refusal, Sanjay Singh will continue to serve as the leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha. Earlier this month, AAP, in a letter to Dhankar, sought Chadha's appointment as the party's leader in the Upper House in the absence of Sanjay Singh, who is currently facing legal issues related to the Delhi liquor policy case. Arvind Kejriwal's letter proposed Raghav Chadha as the interim leader until further changes were deemed necessary, citing Singh's health issues.
Raghav Chadha, among the youngest members of the Rajya Sabha representing Punjab, is part of the AAP, which currently holds 10 seats in the Upper House. Despite the request, Dhankar's response underscores adherence to the established legal framework governing such appointments. The AAP ranks as the fourth-largest party in the Rajya Sabha, following the BJP, Congress, and TMC.