YouTuber and journalist Meghnad S may have stepped into politics with high hopes, but the Malviya Nagar constituency didn’t bite. Running against seasoned politicians like AAP’s Somnath Bharti and BJP’s Satish Upadhyay, he managed just 192 votes, finishing 39,372 votes behind BJP’s Satish Upadhyay, who secured re-election.
Meghnad, known for simplifying politics on his YouTube channel Meghnerd, campaigned as a self-proclaimed ‘normie neta,’ positioning himself as a fresh alternative to traditional politicians. Armed with the pen symbol, he pushed for hyper-local governance and voter engagement. His campaign song, ‘Dilli Ka Normie Neta,’ attempted to connect with Delhiites through satire on civic issues like pollution and traffic. But when the ballots were counted, his digital-first strategy didn’t translate into votes.
Following his loss, Meghnad broke his silence on X (formerly Twitter), reflecting on the election and his time away from social media. “The best thing I have done last month is keep off Twitter/X in general. Helped me do something legit productive, kept me sane through the process and avoid rando anon cynics,” he wrote. He also hinted at stepping back from Twitter, adding, “I think I’m going to significantly reduce my activity here going forward. Lots of work to do! YouTube pe more focus :)”
While his electoral debut ended in defeat, Meghnad seems undeterred. Rather than dwelling on the results, he is shifting back to content creation, where he already commands a loyal audience. His attempt to disrupt politics may have failed at the ballot box, but if nothing else, it gave his followers a real-time crash course on independent politics in India.