The political conversation on Instagram seems to have taken a sharp turn since the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi have seen a significant increase in average engagement on their posts. Data Beings, a social listening and data analytics firm, found that the number of people who follow the likes of the most prominent political personalities and parties on Instagram increased after the CJP-led ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in Delhi on July 20.
The data show that individual political leaders benefited much more from the shift in social media engagement than the official accounts of their respective parties. Narendra Modi saw the biggest increase in followers and engagement per Instagram post, which is up from 1.19 million before July 20 to 4.63 million after. This is a 289.9% increase and places the Prime Minister well ahead of the rest of the political accounts studied.
Rahul Gandhi was also significantly up in this period—his average engagement increased from approximately 152,000 per post to 426,000, representing 180.7%. Political personalities were able to generate much more interaction than institutional party accounts after the period of higher political activity.
PM Modi Leads Instagram Engagement Surge
Narendra Modi has been the biggest beneficiary of the increased political engagement on Instagram, Data Beings reported. His average engagement is 4.63 million per post after July 20; previously, it was 1.19 million.
The Prime Minister also used Instagram reels and other short-form content to reach out to younger audiences. His social media posts were designed to get to people on the platform, with some content uploaded late at night.
The scale of the increase meant that Modi’s average engagement after July 20 was more than ten times that of Rahul Gandhi. It was also significantly higher than the engagement reported by the official BJP and Congress accounts.
Rahul Gandhi Also Shows Sharp Growth
Rahul Gandhi’s Instagram account had the second-largest increase among the four accounts. His average engagement increased from 152,000 to 426,000 per post, a 180.7% increase.
Gandhi also used Instagram to directly engage with younger audiences. His social media activities included Ask Me Anything sessions and reels with students. With his profile more personal and relatable, he had a more direct and personality-based presence on the platform.
The increase indicates that individual political figures might be better able to generate attention on social media through direct communication with audiences rather than just relying on traditional party messaging.
Party Accounts See More Modest Growth
The Congress and BJP Instagram accounts also experienced growth after July 20, although it was much smaller than the growth of the two individual leaders.
Congress's average engagement per post increased from about 50,000 to 72,000, a 43.4% increase. The BJP's average engagement went from about 25,000 to 34,000, a 37.1% increase.
Both parties had greater engagement, but their numbers were far below those of Modi and Gandhi. Modi's average engagement of 4.63 million per post compared with Gandhi's 426,000 and was far higher than both party accounts by July 20.
Personality-Driven Politics Gains Ground
The data revealed by Data Beings points to a wider trend in political communication on social media. Political personalities appear to generate much more engagement than institutional party brands, especially when content is designed for platforms like Instagram.
The contrast is most visible in the post-July 20 figures. Modi and Gandhi recorded increases of 289.9% and 180.7%, respectively, while Congress and BJP grew at 43.4% and 37.1%, respectively.
The findings suggest that younger social media users may be more likely to respond to direct communication from individual political figures. Reels, interactive sessions, and personal appearances can provide political leaders with opportunities to connect with users in a way that is different from conventional political messaging.
𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 - 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗭'𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱
— Data Beings (@DataBeings) August 26, 2026
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
CJP Protest Marks This Point of Change
The analysis comes against the backdrop of the CJP-led protest and the subsequent clashes with police in New Delhi. The events generated a great deal of political discussion and seem to have coincided with a period when major political actors focused on Instagram.
While the data shows a strong rise in engagement after July 20, it does not indicate that the CJP protest was the sole reason behind it. Social media engagement can be influenced by various factors: the type of posts, news cycles, political developments, and the use of short-form video.
But the numbers show a clear increase after July 20 for all four accounts studied. The most obvious takeaway is that political leaders like Narendra Modi are driving Instagram engagement.
For political parties, the numbers accentuate the growing importance of personality-led communication in the digital age. With Instagram continuing to play a major role in reaching younger audiences, individual leaders can create highly engaging content, and as a result, political communication strategies in India are likely to be more effective.
