Raghav Chadha leads big mutiny. What this means for AAP

This would effectively reduce AAP’s representation in the Rajya Sabha to three: Sanjay Singh, ND Gupta and Balbir Singh Seechewal. Besides Mittal, whose official residence on Feroze Shah Road AAP leader Kejriwal was occupying so far, Pathak shared the stage with Chadha at the press meet this afternoon.

AAP insiders pointed out that the episode followed Enforcement Directorate raids at Mittal’s premises in Punjab and at LPU.

The exit of Pathak, considered one of Kejriwal’s close aides and “a blue-eyed” boy within party ranks, was admittedly a shock for the party. Sources said the decision was “clearly taken out of fear that was visible” on Chadha’s and Pathak’s faces.

Party insiders said they were expecting a “move” by Chadha after he was replaced as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. Chadha, it is alleged, sought to replace AAP’s Leader in the House, Sanjay Singh, through some manoeuvring when Singh was behind bars in the alleged excise policy case.

A former professor at IIT Delhi, Pathak is considered a “numbers person” and is understood to have played a key role in the party’s electoral arithmetic. He is said to have played a key role in the selection of party candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the 2025 Delhi polls, both of which saw AAP perform poorly.

Pathak, sources said, was held responsible for choosing candidates “erroneously,” and the leadership was not happy.

Mittal, the founder of LPU, is among three prominent businessmen from Punjab to have entered the AAP’s fold through the Rajya Sabha route following its electoral sweep of the state in the last Assembly election. The others include Gupta, chief of the Trident Group, and Sawhney.

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 16 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism. Expertise High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including: The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls. National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India's security apparatus. Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities. National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements. Academic Credentials: Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi's premier institutions. Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India's most prestigious journalism school. ... Read More

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