‘Where is Raghav Chadha?’: The perennial question that haunts AAP during tough times

As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reels from its big electoral defeat in the Delhi elections, one question has taken over political circles and social media: Where is Raghav Chadha?

The suave Rajya Sabha MP was a prominent face in AAP’s campaign, defending the party in heated debates and rallying for fellow party members. Yet, when the results were declared and AAP faced a crushing loss, Chadha was nowhere to be seen.

And this isn’t the first time his absence has sparked speculation. Whether it was Arvind Kejriwal’s dramatic arrest or AAP’s biggest political crises, Chadha is often missing at crucial moments. So, where is he now? We have the answer.

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Where is Raghav Chadha?

As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) struggles to come to terms with its massive electoral defeat, Raghav Chadha’s absence has not gone unnoticed. According to multiple reports, the AAP leader has been missing from the political scene as he is attending a high-profile family wedding.

Chadha is currently in Mumbai, taking part in the wedding festivities of his wife Parineeti Chopra’s cousin, Siddharth Chopra, who is also the brother of Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra.

On Friday evening, Chadha was spotted wearing an off-white kurta paired with a brown Nehru jacket, while Parineeti opted for an ethnic skirt with a red blouse and a matching jacket. The couple arrived together at the wedding venue, making a public appearance amid the grand celebrations.

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While Chadha was seen enjoying the wedding, the political landscape in Delhi shifted dramatically. On Saturday, as the election results were announced, AAP and its leader Arvind Kejriwal suffered a humiliating defeat.

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According to the latest data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a decisive victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, winning 44 out of 70 seats while also leading in four others. AAP, on the other hand, has managed to win just 21 seats and is ahead in only one constituency. Meanwhile, Congress has been virtually wiped out from the race.

Adding to the shock, AAP’s supremo and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was handed a major defeat in his stronghold, the New Delhi constituency. He lost to BJP’s Parvesh Verma by a staggering margin of 4,089 votes.

As AAP faces another political crisis, Chadha’s absence is once again in the spotlight.

Not the first time for Chadha

Raghav Chadha’s absence during AAP’s most critical moments is nothing new.

When Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last year in connection with the liquor policy case, many expected Chadha—one of Kejriwal’s closest aides and a senior party leader—to step up. However, he was nowhere to be seen, sparking speculation about his whereabouts.

At the time, opposition leaders raised questions about his disappearance, prompting AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj to clarify that Chadha was in London for eye surgery and had been advised complete bed rest.

“Raghav Chadha has undergone a major eye surgery in the UK. It is said that his condition was serious and there was a possibility of blindness. As soon as he gets better, he will come back to India and join us in the election campaigning,” Bharadwaj had said.

Despite missing during Kejriwal’s legal troubles, Chadha was highly active in AAP’s campaign for the Delhi elections. He led a massive roadshow in the Rajendra Nagar Assembly constituency—where he hails from—seeking support for party candidate Durgesh Pathak.

Recently, he was also seen sharing a stage with singer Mika Singh during a campaign rally in the Chandni Chowk Assembly constituency.

Sharing a video on X, Chadha wrote, “Amidst the hectic political campaign, got a chance to jam with the celebrated singer Mika Singh on one of his tracks that I really like…at a public meeting in Chandni Chowk Assembly Constituency, Delhi.”

But as AAP faces its worst-ever electoral defeat, Chadha’s absence during yet another crisis has not gone unnoticed.

With input from agencies