CJP Stir Changes The Political Feed: PM Modi’s Instagram Engagement Soars 289.9%, Rahul Gandhi’s Jumps 180.7% – Delhi News Daily

Last Updated:August 26, 2026, 13:45 IST

Narendra Modi vs Rahul Gandhi: Social media engagement growth is stronger for political personalities than for their parties, finds Data Beings

PM Narendra Modi (left) and Rahul Gandhi posted reels on Instagram.

After the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest mainly involving Gen-Z, India’s top political leaders and parties reworked their social playbook to directly speak to the youth on the platform of their choice – Instagram. And that seems to have yielded results, according to Data Beings.

Leading the charge was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posted reels even as late as midnight. A close second was his political opponent and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who participated in Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions and posted reels of his interaction with students on Instagram.

And the Gen-Z paid them back with a massive jump in engagement.

WHAT DATA BEINGS FOUND

Data Beings, which describes itself as a social listening & data analytics firm for digital media publishers and B2C brands, noticed some interesting changes post July 20, the day the CJP led a massive ‘Sansad Chalo’ march to Parliament in New Delhi, which resulted in a violent police crackdown and clashes.

The key highlights:

• Instagram engagement surged across every political account after 20 July. All four — Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Congress and BJP — recorded higher average engagement per post after the CJP protest/police clash.
• Narendra Modi saw by far the biggest jump. His average engagement increased from 1.19 million to 4.63 million per post, a rise of 289.9% — almost 3.9 times the earlier level.

  ???????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? – ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ????’???? ????????????????Learning From CJP Protest, India’s political class seems to have correctly identified Instagram as the battleground where future election outcomes will be decided.The charts below show… pic.twitter.com/Gt1iASnGGO

  — Data Beings (@DataBeings) August 26, 2026

• Rahul Gandhi also saw a dramatic increase. Average engagement rose from 152K to 426K, up 180.7%, or nearly 2.8 times the pre-20 July level.
• The two individual leaders substantially outperform their parties. Post-20 July, Modi’s average engagement (4.63M) is more than 10 times Rahul Gandhi’s (426K) and vastly higher than both Congress (72K) and BJP (34K).
• Party accounts registered comparatively modest growth. Congress: 50K → 72K (+43.4%); BJP: 25K → 34K (+37.1%)

WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN

The growth is stronger for political personalities than for party brands. The contrast is striking: Modi and Rahul together show increases of 180–290%, while the two party accounts rise by only 37–43%. This suggests that personality-driven political communication is generating considerably more Instagram engagement than institutional party communication.

Modi dominates the Instagram engagement landscape in absolute terms. Even before the increase, his average engagement was substantially ahead of everyone else. After 20 July, that gap widened dramatically.

THE KEY TAKEAWAY

The numbers point to a clear shift toward leader-centric political engagement on Instagram. The post-20 July spike suggests that political content tied to prominent personalities is attracting far greater interaction than conventional party messaging.

But one must remember that the chart demonstrates engagement, not electoral influence. While it illustrates that Instagram is becoming an increasingly important platform for political attention and youth outreach, whether it will change the ground reality and electoral outcomes remain to be seen.

Key Questions Answered

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How are political parties adapting to Gen-Z voters?

Political parties are adapting to Gen-Z voters by shifting their communication strategies to platforms popular with young people, such as Instagram, using short-form videos, interactive features, and direct Q&A sessions.

What impact will social media have on future elections?

Social media is becoming a central platform for political campaigns, with parties using it to build narratives, engage with voters, and target specific demographics like youth and gated communities. This shift includes deploying AI-generated videos, memes, and influencers, and adapting communication styles for platforms like Instagram Reels and interactive features. However, this increased reliance on social media also raises concerns about the spread of misinformation and ethical issues.

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About the Author

Aman Sharma

Aman Sharma, Executive Editor – National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister…Read More

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