Mehraj Malik

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mehraj Malik

• Mehraj Malik hails from the Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir.

• Since his college days, he has been actively involved in politics and social work.

• In 2013, Mehraj Malik began his political career after joining the AAP.

• In 2014, he ran as an independent candidate in the Assembly elections; however didn’t make his win and secured only 365 votes.

• In 2020, Mehraj was elected as the District Development Council (DDC) of the Doda region as an independent candidate with a margin of 3511 votes in Kahara.

• As a DDC member, his work mainly focused on local development issues, including improving infrastructure, education, and healthcare facilities in the Kahara constituency. His efforts were recognized by the local people, which earned him respect and credibility as a grassroots leader.

• His growing influence within the party led to his appointment as the Co-chairman of the J&K State Coordination Committee of AAP in October 2022.

• In 2023, after protests against a land eviction drive in Jammu’s Bathindi area, Mehraj Malik was taken into custody for questioning due to allegations that he delivered a speech at the location where a violent incident occurred. On 10 February 2023, he was released on bail.

• In October 2024, Mehraj Malik became the first member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), representing the Doda Assembly constituency. He won with a margin of over 4,000 votes, which marked a major breakthrough for AAP in Jammu & Kashmir.

  

• On 21 March 2025, he was appointed as the State President of AAP in Jammu and Kashmir.

• On 15 June 2025, he publicly withdrew his support for the National Conference-led government in J&K while continuing his role as AAP’s lone MLA. On his X account, he shared,

I, Mehraj Malik, MLA from Doda, hereby withdraw my support to NC in the government coalition. This decision has been taken in the best interest of my people of Jammu and Kashmir, whose trust and welfare will always be my top priority.”

• On 8 September 2025,  Mehraj Malik was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for one year on the grounds of disturbing public order. His detention order was issued by the District Magistrate (Deputy Commissioner) of Doda, Harvinder Singh.

  

• Malik had been named in 18 FIRs and 16 daily diary reports.

• His detention received backlash from political figures, including Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.