Jaipur, July 27 (IANS) Social media has become the latest political battleground in Rajasthan, with both the Congress and the BJP acknowledging its growing influence on public opinion and electoral outreach.
As digital platforms increasingly shape political narratives, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has urged the government to pay attention to the voices of Gen Z on social media, while the BJP has said it will strengthen its Instagram strategy after the ongoing Parliament session, ahead of the upcoming local body elections.
The debate comes at a time when Instagram has become a key tool for political messaging, particularly among younger voters.
While a handful of Rajasthan’s top leaders command audiences running into millions, more than half of the state’s ministers have fewer than 50,000 followers on the platform.
Speaking to IANS, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that digital space has emerged as a strong platform in the last few years.
“The voice of Gen Z has come out loudly on social media. The government should not ignore it; rather, it should lend its ear because this is the voice of the future of India,” Gehlot said.
Questioning the BJP government’s approach, he added, “Why is the government not taking these Gen Z students seriously?”
Meanwhile BJP spokesperson Ramlal Sharma said the party would soon review its digital outreach strategy.
“Right now, our party workers are busy with the Parliament session proceedings. Once it is over, we will focus on the upcoming local body elections and will also look into our Instagram and social media strategy,” Sharma told IANS.
The renewed focus on digital engagement follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reported emphasis on strengthening the BJP’s presence across social media platforms, particularly Instagram, where political communication increasingly reaches first-time and young voters.
Among Rajasthan’s BJP leaders, Rajyavardhan Rathore has the largest Instagram following with nearly 1.9 million (19 lakh) followers.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has built a following of around 1.2 million (12 lakh), while Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari has approximately 741,000 (7.41 lakh) followers.
Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also maintains a strong online presence with nearly 1.1 million (11 lakh) followers.
On the Congress side, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has around 1 million (11 lakh) followers, while senior leader Sachin Pilot enjoys an audience of nearly 1.2 million (12 lakh) on Instagram.
Despite the increasing political significance of social media, a majority of Rajasthan’s ministers have a relatively limited presence on Instagram.
Some of them include, BJP state president Madan Rathore who has 49.9K followers, State Minister Manju Baghmar who has 8,494 followers. Also, State Minister Hemant Meena, Jawahar Singh Bedham and Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma have poor Instagram presence.
The figures illustrate the uneven digital footprint within the Rajasthan Cabinet at a time when political communication is rapidly shifting towards online platforms.
With local body elections approaching and political parties increasingly targeting younger voters through digital campaigns, Instagram is no longer merely a social networking platform but it has emerged as a crucial arena for shaping public perception, mobilising supporters and setting the political narrative in Rajasthan.
–IANS
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