Biography & Political Career
Born and raised in the Doda district (Bhalessa region), Mehraj Malik emerged from local public life to become a visible voice in Jammu & Kashmir politics.
After serving as an elected member of the District Development Council (DDC), Malik contested the 2024 Assembly elections and won the Doda Assembly seat,
becoming the Aam Aadmi Party’s breakthrough legislator in the Union Territory. His grassroots image, emphasis on local development and direct, confrontational
style of politics have made him a polarising but high-profile figure in regional coverage.
Major milestones
- DDC councillor — Elected to the District Development Council from Kahara (Doda) and built a local base in rural development work.
- MLA (Doda) — Won the 2024 Jammu & Kashmir Assembly election from Doda as an AAP candidate.
- State leadership — Appointed AAP Jammu & Kashmir State President in March 2025, signalling party trust in his organisational potential.
- High-profile detention — Detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in September 2025; the case drew national attention and sparked political debate.
Political style & public image
Malik is known for outspoken criticism of administrative officials and for mobilising supporters on local issues such as healthcare, relief distribution and
infrastructure in the Chenab-Doda region. Supporters view him as a confrontational grassroots leader; critics and some officials characterise some of his
actions as over-zealous and occasionally law-stretching — a tension that underpins much reporting about him.
Why Mehraj Malik matters
As AAP’s most visible (and for a time only) legislator in Jammu & Kashmir, Malik’s political fortunes have implications for party expansion in the region,
local governance debates in the Chenab valley and for conversations about the balance between political dissent and administrative order.
