Explained : Raghav Chadha’s three-point mantra for youth-led politics and Its Impact

When Raghav Chadha entered politics at 22, it wasn’t with the intention of contesting elections or building a career in public office. A chartered accountant trained in London, Chadha once imagined a life of service in army uniform, not on the campaign trail. Politics, he says, came later, almost reluctantly.

“I never thought I would fight an election,” he recalls. “I was working on campaign design, manifesto planning, advising on policy. Very late in the day, the idea of contesting even entered my mind.”

Today, as one of the youngest faces of the Aam Aadmi Party and a Member of Parliament, Chadha’s personal journey has become a larger argument: Indian youth haven’t stopped caring about politics, they’ve stopped believing it listens.

The politics–youth disconnect

India is a paradox. While 65% of the population is below the age of 35, political power remains concentrated in older hands. In the 1962 Lok Sabha, nearly 26% of MPs were under 40. In the last Lok Sabha, that number fell to just 12%, even as India became demographically younger.

“We are a young country governed by an older imagination,” Chadha says.

The problem, he argues, isn’t apathy. Young people today are more informed than ever, but information has not translated into influence.

Politics, once seen as national service, has now become a “dirty word”.

“When we were growing up, elders told us to become engineers, doctors—even astronauts,” he says. “Nobody told us to become politicians. That’s not society’s fault. That’s the political class’s fault.”

Broken promises, broken trust

The gulf between what politicians promise and what they deliver has widened, Chadha admits. Performance is increasingly measured by optics, not problem-solving. In such an environment, politics appears transactional, compromised and unsafe for those seeking dignity and stability.

Yet, he invokes an old warning: “If you don’t interfere in politics, politics will surely interfere in your life.”

For Chadha, the answer is not blind rebellion but reclaiming politics through professionalism, integrity, and participation.

There is an alternative route

Dispelling the idea that politics is accessible only through godfathers, money, muscle, or media power, Chadha positions himself as proof that alternative routes exist.

“You don’t have to fight an election to enter politics,” he says. “There are many ways to contribute—policy research, campaigning, advisory roles.”

His own rise was gradual, shaped by people’s movements and behind-the-scenes work long before electoral politics entered the picture.

The mantra: how to practise politics

For Chadha, entering politics is not just about ambition or ideology, but about how one behaves in public life. His message to young Indians is built around three non-negotiable principles:

•Attack the issue, not the person

•Disagree without disrespect

•Stay grounded in facts, not outrage

“These are not just political rules,” he says. “They are civic values.”

Politics is not a paycheck

Chadha is candid about the sacrifices involved. When he decided to contest his first election in 2019, it took him six months to say yes. His father supported the decision; his mother did not.

“She told me very clearly—politics should not be your source of income. You’re a CA. Let that be your livelihood,” he says.

Politics, he agrees, is not revenue-generating, but the impact is enormous. That distinction, he believes, is essential if politics is to attract serious, ethical professionals.

Reclaiming the meaning of politics

From independence to now, Chadha notes, politics has shifted from service to survival. The resulting repulsion,especially among the young needs to be dismantled.

“Today, sensible people choose safer rooms. ‘Let me build my life first,’ they say,” he observes. “Society has engineered us to think that way.”

“The country doesn’t lack talent,” he says.

“It lacks participation.”