Raghav Chadha loses almost a million followers on Instagram after leaving AAP for BJP; NCP claims 'Gen Z' effect

New Delhi: A major shake-up was witnessed in Delhi politics on Friday when Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha quit the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, it now appears that this political move of his is not sitting well with some people on social media platforms with the former AAP leader losing a lot of followers on Instagram. Some political commentators have claimed that this proves that the image he cultivated among Gen Z appears to be tarnishing in the wake of the decision to leave AAP in favour of the BJP.

How was Raghav Chadha's online popularity affected?

In today's digital era, social media followers are often regarded as a metric for gauging an individual's popularity. Statistics reveal that following his sudden induction into the BJP, Chadha's Instagram follower count plummeted by nearly one million in less than 24 hours.

According to the data, Raghav Chadha had 14.6 million followers on Instagram on Friday. By 1:00 PM on Saturday, this figure had dropped to 13.5 million. This implies that in a span of less than 24 hours, approximately one million people unfollowed him. The hashtag #unfollowRaghavChadha is currently trending on social media, with young voters expressing their indignation and labeling the move a "betrayal."

NCP (SP) spokesperson Aneesh Gavande tweeted,"A viral Gen Z 'unfollow' campaign on Instagram has led to Raghav Chadha's followers dropping by 10 lakh in 24 hours."

"The internet can make you a hero overnight. The internet can also bring you down to zero overnight," he added.

Is There a 'Purge' of Anti-Modi Posts?

There is also considerable chatter within political circles that, immediately upon joining the BJP, Raghav Chadha deleted old posts from his social media handles that were critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that only two posts mentioning Modi now remain on Chadha's timeline—both of which are laudatory of the Prime Minister.

Raghav Chadha had carved out a distinct niche for himself among the youth by championing "soft issues" such as paternity leave, the plight of gig workers, and the concept of 10-minute deliveries. He even spent a day working as a delivery partner for Blinkit. This persona of an "accessible" leader had set him apart from the realm of traditional politics. However, by aligning himself with the BJP... The decision has disappointed a large section of his supporters.

Despite being removed from the post of AAP's Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha received overwhelming support. The AAP MP—who is married to Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra—even shared a Reel on Instagram, in which a user suggested that Chadha should start his own 'Gen Z party.'

Among those who unfollowed him was mountaineer Rohtash Khileri, who recently became the first person in the world to spend 24 hours on Europe's Mount Elbrus without the aid of supplemental oxygen. Political analyst Diksha Kandpal tweeted, "Look at Raghav Chadha's latest Instagram post; see how many comments there are about unfollowing him. I can see that a large number of young people are stating that they are unfollowing him."

It now remains to be seen how Raghav Chadha—widely regarded as a master of data and strategy—will repair this digital dent, and whether he will be able to regain his lost credibility among the youth.