Raghav Chadha Appointed Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions After Reconstitution of Panel

New Delhi, May 2026 : Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has been appointed the Chairperson of the Committee on Petitions of the Upper House, following a reconstitution of the panel by Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, an official said on Sunday.

The Committee was formally reconstituted on May 20, and Chadha’s appointment has now been notified officially.

According to the notification, “Raghav Chadha has been appointed Chairman of the committee.” The appointment places him in a key parliamentary role responsible for examining public petitions and ensuring accountability in governance through legislative scrutiny.

The newly constituted Committee includes members Jebi Mather Hisham, Harsh Mahajan, Gulam Ali, Mayankkumar Nayak, Masthan Rao Yadav Beedha, Subhasish Khuntia, Rwngwra Narzary, Sandosh Kumar P., and Shambhu Sharan Patel.

The Committee on Petitions plays an important role in the functioning of the Rajya Sabha by examining grievances submitted by citizens and making recommendations to improve administrative efficiency and legislative responsiveness. As Chairperson, Chadha will be responsible for guiding deliberations, reviewing petitions, and presenting findings before the Upper House.

His appointment comes shortly after a significant political development involving his transition from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs.

In April, seven AAP Rajya Sabha members—including Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Vikram Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta—joined the BJP. The move marked a major setback for the AAP, reducing its strength in the Upper House from 10 members to just three.

Following the switch, Chadha met President Droupadi Murmu, where he reportedly raised concerns regarding alleged misuse of state machinery by the AAP-led government in Punjab. He accused the Punjab administration of engaging in “political vendetta” by allegedly using police and administrative resources against MPs who had recently joined the BJP.

Chadha also claimed that such actions were targeted attempts to intimidate political opponents and undermine democratic processes.

However, his defection and subsequent remarks drew strong criticism from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Mann accused the defecting MPs of disregarding the mandate given by voters and questioned their political integrity.

Responding to the development, Mann said, “Those who are terming this defection as the order of the day or a tradition are justifying a grave disregard for the people’s verdict. This is unacceptable.”

He further stated that individuals who switch allegiance in this manner were “betraying Punjab and Punjabis,” and added that such actions reflected a disregard for public trust.

With Chadha now taking charge as Chairperson of the Committee on Petitions, he assumes a significant parliamentary responsibility within the Rajya Sabha at a time of notable political realignment.