The stunning departure of Raghav Chadha from the AAP to affiliate with the BJP has not garnered favor with Gen Z. The charismatic Rajya Sabha MP, previously quite popular with younger audiences, witnessed a drop of one million followers in less than a day.
The day following Raghav Chadha’s political upheaval in the national capital, where he left the AAP in favor of the BJP, his appeal appears to have diminished. Chadha was accompanied by six AAP Rajya MPs to the BJP, prompting Arvind Kejriwal’s party to scramble to retain its members. This anticipated transition to the BJP came after Chadha was ousted from his position as AAP’s deputy leader of Rajya Sabha weeks prior, and it has failed to resonate with Gen Z.
In today’s digital realm, social media followers often serve as a metric for popularity. Reports indicate that Chadha experienced a staggering loss of nearly one million Instagram followers within a span of 24 hours following his unexpected switch to the BJP. On Friday, the 37-year-old Rajya Sabha MP boasted 14.6 million followers, which plummeted to 13.5 million by Saturday afternoon.
Political analysts propose that the youth, especially Gen Z, are spearheading the discontent directed at Chadha. Will the statistics-savvy politician manage to process this information and initiate a rebound?
“A viral Gen Z ‘unfollow’ movement on Instagram has resulted in Raghav Chadha losing 10 lakh followers in just one day,” tweeted NCP (SP) spokesperson Anish Gawande. “The internet can elevate you to stardom overnight. The internet can also drag you down to ground zero overnight,” he added.
HIT TO RAGHAV CHADHA’S POPULARITY?
In reality, Chadha established a significant rapport with the youth by consistently addressing topics that impacted daily life—issues that are frequently neglected in political discussions.
From advocating for paternity leave, addressing traffic dilemmas, and challenging daily data limits imposed by telecom giants, to highlighting “soft issues” like overpriced samosas at airports and the exploitation of gig economy workers through rapid delivery models, he even worked as a Blinkit delivery partner for a day to grasp gig workers’ struggles.
These efforts bore fruit when the Centre mandated that delivery firms eliminate the obligatory 10-minute delivery time frame. Such initiatives helped cultivate Chadha’s image as an approachable politician.
His emphasis on matters pertinent to Gen Z within the Rajya Sabha created a bridge between conventional politics and the aspirations of young voters. He was regarded as a refreshing type of leader.
Even after Chadha was dismissed as deputy leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha, he experienced a surge of support. The AAP MP, married to Bollywood star Parineeti Chopra, shared an Instagram reel featuring a user who suggested he establish a “Gen Z party” of his own.
In a strikingly prophetic manner, the user, known as Rihan, claimed that if Chadha switched parties, he might attract disdain. While posting the content, Chadha referred to it as an “interesting thought,” sparking rampant speculation about his potential to launch his own party.
Ultimately, Chadha opted for the BJP, and with that decision, his support base appears to be transforming.
Among those who unfollowed him was mountaineer Rohtash Khileri, who recently made history as the first person to remain on Europe’s Mount Elbrus for 24 hours without supplemental oxygen.
“Check Raghav Chadha’s initial post on Instagram; observe how many unfollow comments are present. I notice numerous young individuals advocating for an unfollow,” political analyst Diksha Kandpal tweeted.
Indeed, a trend featuring the hashtag “unfollowRaghavChadha” is already gaining traction. Several users have also noticed that Chadha has removed previous posts from his social media accounts that criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj pointed out that only two posts mentioning “Modi” remain on Chadha’s profile, and both express admiration for the Prime Minister.
It’s uncertain if the articulate, data-driven politician will manage to restore his appeal among the younger demographic.
