Raghav Chadha joins BJP: Former AAP leader faces social media wrath, loses 1 million followers on Instagram
Raghav Chadha joins BJP: A day after Raghav Chadha caused a big political stir in New Delhi by leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), his popularity appears to have dropped. He also took six AAP Rajya Sabha MPs with him, leaving the Arvind Kejriwal-led party struggling to mitigate the situation.
Although his move to the BJP was expected after he was removed as AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, it hasn’t gone down well with young people. Reports show that he lost nearly 1 million Instagram followers in less than a day after switching parties. His followers dropped from 14.6 million on Friday to 13.5 million by Saturday afternoon. Experts say this backlash is mainly coming from Gen Z.
Chadha had built strong support among young people by talking about everyday issues that are often ignored in politics. These included topics like paternity leave, traffic problems, mobile data limits, high food prices at airports, and the struggles of gig workers. He even worked as a delivery partner for Blinkit for a day to understand their challenges.
His efforts also led to action, as the government later asked delivery companies to remove strict 10-minute delivery deadlines. Because of such steps, Chadha had created an image of being a relatable and approachable leader.
By focusing on issues important to young people in the Rajya Sabha, he managed to connect modern youth concerns with traditional politics, making him stand out from other leaders.
- With inputs from agencies
