Ashok Mittal entered Parliament in 2022 as a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab. (PTI Photo) 3 min read Apr 24, 2026 05:59 PM IST First published on: Apr 24, 2026 at 05:41 PM IST Ashok Mittal (62), a Rajya Sabha MP and Chancellor of Lovely Professional University, on Friday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, barely 10 days after facing an Enforcement Directorate raid and just weeks after being appointed Deputy Leader of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Upper House, replacing Raghav Chadha. His sudden switch triggered political ripples in Punjab and beyond, given his rising profile within the AAP and the timing of his exit. A first-time MP since 2022, Mittal rose from a family sweets business to build a major private university. Born in Jalandhar Cantonment into a traditional business family originally from Rajasthan, Mittal grew up around the well-known local brand “Lovely Sweets,” founded by his father, the late Baldev Raj Mittal.…