Ankit Pandey* was dashing to catch a prepare from Mumbai’s Malad station final month, when a sight halted him in his tracks. From the railway bridge, he may see a bunch of males providing namaaz (prayers) simply outdoors the railway platform.
Pandey, 22, a employee within the Hindutva outfit Bajrang Dal, was incensed. He shot a 33-second video of the lads praying, together with his voiceover — “Will a Hindu be allowed to do that?” He added a tune, a menacing refrain with pulsating beats, and uploaded it to Instagram via the native account of a leaderless Hindutva outfit referred to as the Sakal Hindu Samaj (SHS).
He tagged 4 different related accounts with a mixed following of over 3.7 lakh followers. It took him lower than 10 minutes to shoot and add. However in a single day, the publish blew up.
Tens of 1000’s shared it and agreed together with his outrage. Senior Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) leaders latched on, and in 24 hours, Railways authorities had booked three individuals for ‘trespassing railway property’. Pandey’s publish nonetheless stays on Instagram — with over 54,000 likes and greater than 1,000,000 views.
Ladies taking selfies after casting their votes through the Bihar Meeting Elections in November 2025.
| Picture Credit score:
Getty Photos
As soon as a hub for trip pictures and aspirational way of life content material, Instagram in India is now evolving into an area crammed with political messaging, starting from cheeky memes to hate-driven propaganda. Accelerating this shift is father or mother firm Meta’s resolution final 12 months to push extra political and information content material in direction of customers, together with content material from these they don’t comply with. “We could suggest political content material from accounts individuals don’t already comply with based mostly on personalised alerts. If you wish to see roughly political content material, you possibly can change your Political Content material Management setting at any time,” says a Meta spokesperson.
India is Instagram’s largest market on the earth, with round 481 million customers. However with the platform changing into the mainstay of India’s political campaigning, there are additionally issues. Whereas disinformation via AI-generated content material and hate-filled movies continues to flourish, essential voices may be getting silenced.
Such a development holds immense significance for India. In spite of everything, in each neighbouring Nepal and Bangladesh — the websites of Gen Z protests which dislodged governments — Instagram emerged as a key supply of data for protesters. Other than posting content material that stoked the protests, customers in each nations additionally leveraged it to coordinate amongst themselves and create secure channels of communication.
Catching Gen Z
In India, the platform has seen a transparent uptick in utilization. Reuters Institute for the Examine of Journalism’s 2025 Digital Information Report captures the size of this shift: whereas 55% of Indians most well-liked YouTube as their information supply, 37% now flip to Instagram — the biggest rise in information consumption recorded throughout any platform.
In response to Raqib Naik, govt director of the Washington D.C.-based Heart for the Examine Of Organized Hate (CSOH), which tracks hate and disinformation on social media platforms, Instagram’s design and options — its infinite scrolling, the autoplay reels and an algorithm that curates your feed — make the app an ideal match for political content material. “Instagram’s visible grammar lends itself properly to messaging that’s extremely emotive, simplified, and simple to flow into at scale,” he says.
“Content material moderation at scale requires deep native language capability, and within the Indian context, funding in educated reviewers and culturally knowledgeable methods stays far under what is required.”Raqib NaikGovt director, Heart for the Examine of Organized Hate
Educational and satirist Maduri Kakoti, identified on-line as ‘Dr. Medusa’, agrees. “Though it didn’t imply to begin off as a politically-influential instrument, its very design makes Instagram tailored for political messaging and propaganda,” she says.
Political marketing campaign managers have taken observe. Talha Rashid, a Delhi-based political advisor and strategist who has labored throughout celebration traces for state and central polls, says Instagram is not an afterthought for political leaders. “It’s now the primary platform we take into consideration.”
Established politicians, he provides, are continuously revolutionary methods to spice up their Instagram recreation. “Earlier, most politicians would simply publish about their day by day routines, the conferences they held, and so on. However now they’re collaborating with influencers or changing into part of viral tendencies on the Web,” Rashid says.
“One of the essential issues that Instagram does is that it caters to everybody’s affirmation bias. The algorithm is designed in a method that for those who as soon as search a selected kind of video, you’ll be proven increasingly more of that.”Madri KakotiEducational, satirist
The marketing campaign mounted by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, searching for a report third-term in energy, demonstrates this. Standing out amongst his media interviews are his conversations with influencers — together with one with monetary content material creator Sharique Samsudheen. The influencer has over 1.63 million subscribers on YouTube — 3 times greater than his following on Instagram. But, a brief clip of his interview with Vijayan, the place the chief talks about going to jail — with AI-generated visuals of a younger Vijayan in jail, washing his garments, taking up the jailer — has 1.4 million views on Instagram, with 73,000 customers liking it. The unique 41-minute interview on YouTube, in the meantime, has 229,000 views and simply over 8,600 likes.
Vijayan’s rivals are additionally adopting an identical technique. Jayan G. Nath, digital media marketing campaign head of Twenty20 — an NDA constituent contesting in 19 Meeting constituencies in Kerala — says the celebration’s social media marketing campaign is primarily Instagram-driven. “Our give attention to Instagram is as a result of it’s the finest platform to affect younger voters,” Nath says, including that quick movies, relatively than longer movies on YouTube, are “probably the most consumed” of all content material.
Subsequent door, in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.Ok. Stalin’s marketing campaign appears to be taking classes. Stalin’s marketing campaign has launched an Instagram-focused drive, referred to as ‘Vibe with MKS’, the place he’s seen having casual conversations with influencers, in addition to with musicians, whereas donning informal T-shirts and trousers, ditching his trademark white shirt and veshti. Whereas the ‘Vibe with MKS’ web page itself has simply over 13,000 followers, a video of Stalin assembly two baby influencers — brothers Deva and Jiva — has garnered over 5.4 million views.
Journalist and Tamil YouTuber Rangaraj Pandey, who runs the favored political channel ‘Chanakyaa’, says such an emphasis on Instagram is a results of the State’s demographics — almost a fifth of Tamil voters belong to Gen Z. “Until 15 years in the past, a political marketing campaign would virtually totally be fought on the bottom,” Pandey says. “Now, a minimum of 40% of the marketing campaign has shifted to social media platforms. Younger voters don’t wish to hearken to monotonous speeches at rallies. As a substitute, they may watch a 60-second reel on Instagram encapsulating the essence of that speech.”
Pandey additionally factors to the recognition of actor C. Joseph Vijay and his celebration, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), as being a serious cause behind the DMK’s social media push. TVK has been doubling down on its youth assist base — Vijay boasts the celebration has the nation’s “largest social media military” and calls them “digital warriors” of the celebration.
“Younger voters don’t wish to hear to monotonous speeches at rallies. As a substitute, they may watch a 60-second reel on Instagram encapsulating the essence of that speech.”Rangaraj PandeyJournalist and YouTuber
To AI or to not AI
Political events are additionally more and more counting on AI, to have the ability to cater to the infinite appetites of social media customers.
The Congress’ Tamil Nadu marketing campaign, as an example, has created an AI-generated mascot, a younger bespectacled lady named Rakkamma, who appears into the digicam and publicises the Congress’ guarantees with the hashtag ‘Rakkamma Talks’.
In Kerala, an AI-generated viral video reveals world leaders, reminiscent of U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron sporting conventional Kerala mundus and campaigning for varied events. Whereas ‘Trump’ is canvassing for the BJP, ‘Putin’ is seen backing the Left Entrance whereas ‘Macron’ asks for votes to the UDF, strolling via busy Kerala streets.
In West Bengal, each the ruling Trinamool Congress and its principal rival, the BJP, have used AI to create movies depicting one another’s leaders because the legendary Sholay character ‘Gabbar’, or, in a single meme, extra villainous than him.
“We keep away from AI-based content material not solely to make sure that we don’t fall foul of regulatory mechanisms, but in addition to forestall a scenario the place the celebration’s credibility might be at stake.”Jayan G. NathDigital media marketing campaign head, Twenty20, Kerala
But, not all of it’s humorous. In February, the X (previously Twitter) account of BJP’s Assam unit posted an AI-generated video displaying Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma capturing at two Muslim males with the caption ‘No mercy’. The video was pulled down after widespread condemnation.
Final month, the Kerala Police filed an FIR in opposition to X and a person for importing an AI-generated video that includes Modi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Nath, the Twenty20 strategist, says they’re steering away from AI content material. “We keep away from AI-based content material not solely to make sure that we don’t fall foul of regulatory mechanisms, but in addition to forestall a scenario the place the celebration’s credibility might be at stake,” he says.
“Regardless of how glitzy a candidate or celebration’s social media technique is, the thumb rule is easy: if you’re not on the bottom, you received’t get the votes.”Talha RashidPolitical advisor and strategist
Menace vs. alternative
Creators, in hushed tones, speak about how the rise in political content material has opened the floodgates for cash to movement into their pages, it doesn’t matter what their following.
Whereas larger names usually get profitable authorities contracts and commercials, a Mumbai-based administrator of a preferred meme web page says political events choose working with micro-influencers having lower than 100,000 followers. “Events enlist such influencers to create memes round their rivals,” the admin says. “This content material is rarely brazenly partisan, it’s usually humorous and entertaining, and works very properly on Instagram.”
Past such shadow wars that events combat on Instagram, different creators — identified for his or her essential takes on public points — say that extra political content material on Instagram might be each a risk and a chance.
For journalist Varavanai Senthil, who runs the favored Tamil satirical YouTube channel ‘The Onion Roast’, creating content material has meant engaged on detailed scripts that weave truth and satire collectively or characteristic political discussions in movies that usually transcend 20 minutes in size.
Varavanai Senthil runs the favored Tamil satirical YouTube channel ‘The Onion Roast’.
He has over 143,000 subscribers on YouTube, however he admits that “politically-interested customers” are transferring to Instagram. There, he’s pressured to compete with those that are capable of ship political memes in lower than 30 seconds.
“Folks wish to devour extra info in much less time — like on a Metro journey or a brief espresso break,” says Senthil. “For politically inclined people, Instagram serves as a fast technique to chill out at work… Its potential to ship political content material in 30 to 60 seconds is the important thing issue.”
But, he stays optimistic that almost all voters will proceed to depend on longer YouTube movies that provide greater than leisure. “I firmly imagine there’ll all the time be a spot — and a robust future — for long-form movies,” he says, providing an illustration. “Ravana kidnapped Rama’s spouse Sita, Rama fought a conflict, killed him, and rescued Sita — this may be summarised in a reel. However that isn’t the total Ramayana.”
Kakoti, the satirist, has learnt to regulate to those quick consideration spans. In February, when Youth Congress staff have been arrested for protesting on the Worldwide AI Summit in Delhi, Kakoti protested with a zippy video, whereas she acquired prepared for work. Beforehand, she would roleplay a information reader at a fictitious channel named ‘Dukhdarshan’ and skim out information with a satirical twist.
Memes and social media posts by main political events within the run-up to this month’s Meeting elections.
Kakoti’s Instagram viewers has been rising, at the same time as her X base is plateauing, she says. “One of the essential issues that Instagram does is that it caters to everybody’s affirmation bias,” she says. “The algorithm is designed in a method that for those who as soon as search a selected kind of video, you’ll be proven increasingly more of that.”
What this additionally means, nonetheless, is that the platform turns into a simple place to hawk misinformation and disinformation.
Kakoti says influencers, particularly these patronised by energy, are more and more capable of produce short-form content material concentrating on rival political events. “They create these catchy, glamorous movies since Instagram offers you the instruments to take action, from music to enhancing choices,” she provides.
Rashid, the political advisor, says Instagram’s short-form format is a double-edged sword. “Quick-form movies cherry-pick details and are sometimes out-of-context, enabling them to simply seed false info,” he says. Set off-happy customers find yourself sharing such movies, amplifying the falsehood.
“Instagram has led to not simply populist political campaigning but in addition populist uprisings. Which is why, the identical governments that have been having fun with the social media phenomenon at the moment are more and more clamping down on it.”Rahul BatraAdvisor and ex-digital strategist at Google
Rahul Batra, ex-digital strategist at Google, who now works as a advisor on problems with expertise and geopolitics, says corporations reminiscent of Meta and Google are refusing to take accountability for the content material circulated on their platforms “like they did until 10 years in the past”. “Principally, they’ve realised that this beast can’t be managed centrally. Which is why they’ve decentralised content material moderation,” he says, referring to the platforms more and more toeing the federal government line.
Will views translate to votes?
A number of situations illustrate Instagram’s expertise with governmental management. In February, unbiased media home The Wire noticed its Instagram account blocked for 2 hours after it posted a satirical video cartoon essential of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Final week, a reel by stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani, mimicking Modi’s conferences with overseas leaders, was taken down by Instagram on authorities orders, after it garnered over 16 million views.
Kakoti confronted an FIR final 12 months for her social media publish criticising the media and the federal government’s response to the Pahalgam terrorist assault. Her DMs, each on Instagram and X, usually see trolling, abuse, and even violent threats directed at her.
Batra, the ex-Google strategist, hyperlinks such growing censorship to the Gen Z protests which have taken place internationally. “Instagram has led to not simply populist political campaigning but in addition populist uprisings,” he says. “Which is why, the identical governments that have been having fun with the social media phenomenon at the moment are more and more clamping down on it.”
Naik, from CSOH, says “structural components” inhabit Meta’s enforcement of its personal pointers. “Content material moderation at scale requires deep native language capability, and within the Indian context, funding in educated reviewers and culturally knowledgeable methods stays far under what is required.”
Crowds collect throughout a marketing campaign for the upcoming Meeting elections in Tiruvannamalai, March 31, 2026.
| Picture Credit score:
PTI
A Meta spokesperson says it has “strict insurance policies” in opposition to violent or graphic content material that it enforces “impartially”. Meta additionally confirms that it has acted in opposition to content material by proscribing entry to it in India “upon receipt of a sound authorized order”.
Such censorship and management over political messaging on the platform are unlikely to go unnoticed amongst voters.
Pandey, the YouTuber from Chennai, says voters have a look at short-form political content material as “leisure”. “A lot of the social media viewers see this as leisure. As a substitute of watching a TV present, they’d relatively watch quick political reels and memes,” he says, including a cautionary observe. “However extra views don’t imply extra votes.”
An Amity College analysis paper final 12 months, learning political engagement in Gen Z audiences throughout three South Indian cities, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, discovered simply this. Whereas 72% of Gen Z respondents usually devour political content material on Instagram, lower than a fourth of them are literally motivated to have interaction in political participation, i.e. any motion that may affect political methods and establishments.
Rashid, the marketing campaign strategist, agrees. “Regardless of how glitzy a candidate or celebration’s social media technique is, the thumb rule is easy: if you’re not on the bottom, you received’t get the votes.”
Abish Puthussery, Kochi-based IT skilled
Voters reminiscent of Abish Puthussery, a younger IT skilled in Kochi, concur. Puthussery stays glued to his telephone, together with his predominant supply of political information being Instagram. With the marketing campaign season ongoing, political reels have “flooded” his feed.
But, he says, the virality of those reels received’t form electoral fortunes. “Viral Insta reels should not an indicator of the assist base of a political entrance,” he says. “Voters right here assume lengthy and arduous earlier than casting their votes. That’s the way it works in Kerala.”
(*Title modified on request)
With inputs from S.R. Praveen.
Kunal Purohit is a Mumbai-based unbiased journalist and the creator of H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars.