India, April 3 -- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday replaced Raghav Chadha as the deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha with Ashok Mittal, in a move that opposition leaders said indicate a rift in the party.

Party leaders said a letter was sent to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking to replace Chadha with Mittal. "Rajya Sabha secretariat was made aware of the party's decision," AAP's leader of the house in Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh told reporters.

Party leaders described the decision as part of internal restructuring. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed the move was result of Chadha's "distancing himself" from party's national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"The way Raghav Chadha has been ...