How AI is rewriting the rules of election campaign in India
Elections in states like
Bihar, Kerala, West Bengal
, and
Tamil Nadu
are still months away but the new-age digital campaigners already have their tasks cut out. These crucial elections are bound to see much more evolved and innovative use of artificial intelligence, already a dominating force in the past elections.
The battle for votes is no longer confined to crowded rallies and roadshows; it's increasingly unfolding on screens, powered by algorithms, data, and AI.
Gone are the days when victories were secured through thundering speeches, meticulously planned propaganda, and rallies packed with promises and handshakes.
Today, the
digital realm has emerged as the new battleground
, and the strategists shaping public opinion often operate in lines of code rather than through sheer charisma. Consider the viral AI-generated posters:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reimagined as a Marvel-style superhero, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal cast as a Harry Potter-like figure
.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency
Planet Spark
Learn More
Undo
This is an AI-generated image shared by BJP on its social media account.
AAP shared a video on X during Delhi elections, where it featured former Delhi chief minister as Harry Potter.
The faces are familiar, yet the force behind these captivating campaigns is the unseen hand of Artificial Intelligence.
AI is no longer a distant frontier—it is the present
, deeply embedded in the machinery of the world's largest democracy. And with a young, tech-savvy electorate at the helm, India is rapidly embracing this technological revolution in its political arena.
These images were shared by BJP on X. This reflects how AI can be used to boost diplomatic relations between two countries.
India's stand on AI
Artificial Intelligence has quietly yet powerfully infiltrated the war rooms and strategy sessions of
Indian politics
. The central government, under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, has actively championed the development of a "unique marketplace-based model to ensure broad accessibility" of AI technologies. This national vision underscores the importance placed on AI's potential across various sectors.
Recently, in a podcast with American podcaster Lex Fridman, PM Modi underlined India's growing role in AI and said, "No matter what the world does with AI, it will remain incomplete without India."
He added that India's vast talent pool is its greatest strength, saying, "Artificial intelligence is fundamentally powered, shaped, and guided by human intelligence, and that real intelligence exists abundantly in India's youth."
Narendra Modi: Prime Minister of India - Power, Democracy, War & Peace | Lex Fridman Podcast #460
Decoding the digital campaign
The 2024 general elections served as a watershed moment, showcasing the extensive and innovative ways in which political parties are leveraging AI tools.
Political communication strategist Devesh Singh, in a conversation with TOI, spoke about this transformation and said,
"Indian political parties are harnessing AI to revolutionise campaign strategies, focusing on personalisation, content creation, and voter engagement"
.
He also provided a detailed breakdown of the AI strategies employed by various parties:
BJP
Deployed '
Bhashini
' on the NaMo app for real-time translation of PM Modi's speeches into eight regional languages, including Kannada and Odia, reaching non-Hindi voters. In Varanasi, BJP used AI to generate personalised WhatsApp videos addressing voters by name, linking to specific schemes like PM-KISAN. They also launched an AI chatbot, NaMo AI, to answer voter queries on policies.
Congress
Released a satirical deepfake video, "
Chor
," superimposing Modi's face on a singer, shared with its over 6 million Instagram followers (now over 7 million followers) to allege corruption. In Karnataka, Congress used AI to create localised social media ads targeting youth with messages on unemployment, tailored to district-level job data.
DMK
Employed deepfake technology to resurrect M Karunanidhi, featuring him in campaign videos endorsing M K Stalin, evoking nostalgia in Tamil Nadu.
AIADMK
Used AI-generated audio of the late Jayalalithaa in campaign rallies in Chennai, rallying supporters with her iconic voice.
TDP
Introduced an AI anchor, '
Vaibhavi
', delivering Telugu YouTube updates on party promises, and used AI to analyse voter sentiment in Andhra Pradesh constituencies.
AI technology తో చంద్రబాబు న్యూస్ | AI Anchor Vaibhavi, | Artificial Intelligence| tdp official
CPI (M)
Launched an AI anchor, '
Samata
', for Bengali voters, sharing policy explainers on WhatsApp. In Kerala, they used AI to generate posters highlighting local issues like coastal erosion.
AAP
In Delhi, AAP deployed AI-driven chatbots on WhatsApp to engage voters on free electricity and water schemes, with tailored responses based on user inputs.
YSRCP
In Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP used AI to create hyper-local video ads showcasing Jagan Mohan Reddy's welfare schemes, segmented by rural and urban voters.
Singh further emphasised the sheer scale of AI's deployment, saying, "
Over 50 million AI-generated robocalls mimicking politicians' voices, including Modi and Rahul Gandhi, were made, discussing local issues like irrigation in Maharashtra or healthcare in Bihar. These examples highlight AI's role in scaling personalised, emotionally resonant campaigns, though ethical concerns around misinformation persist
."
Expert's view on AI's role in Indian politics
Power of personalisation
A key aspect of AI's impact lies in its ability to analyse vast datasets and identify specific voter segments for targeted persuasion. According to Singh, "
AI is enabling campaigns to segment and persuade voters with precision. AI algorithms analyse vast datasets — demographics, voting history, social media activity, and consumer patterns — to create granular voter profiles based on age, caste, religion, income, or regional concerns.
" This detailed understanding allows for the crafting of highly personalised messages delivered through various digital channels like WhatsApp, robocalls, and social media.
For example:
BJP in Uttar Pradesh sent WhatsApp messages to farmers, referencing specific PM-KISAN payments they received, with calls to vote for Modi.
Congress in Rajasthan used AI to target women voters with ads on the Mahila Samman Yojana, customised by district-level literacy rates.
AAP in Punjab analysed social media sentiment to send personalised messages to urban youth about education reforms.
This level of personalisation extends to addressing voters by name and referencing local issues or personal benefits, with AI chatbots like BJP's NaMo AI providing tailored policy details in response to individual inquiries.
AI has been levelling the playing field
Avesh Singh, head of digital communication at I-PAC, told TOI, "
So far, AI has been levelling the playing field. Previously, only larger parties were able to produce a higher volume of content or react quickly, but now, with the help of AI, smaller parties can scale their content generation capabilities more easily.
"
"
However, in the future, as AI platforms begin to focus more on the business side, this shift may benefit those with greater funding
," he added.
Do AI-generated images and memes impact political narratives?
AI-generated images and memes are potent tools for shaping narratives and influencing voter perception, leveraging emotional appeal and virality. In 2024:
Congress's "Chor" deepfake video, portraying PM Modi as corrupt, reinforced negative narratives among its base, gaining traction on Instagram.
DMK's Karunanidhi deepfake videos in Tamil Nadu evoked nostalgia, strengthening voter loyalty.
BJP shared AI-generated memes in Gujarat, depicting Rahul Gandhi as disconnected, amplifying perceptions of weak leadership.
AAP used AI-crafted posters in Delhi, showcasing Kejriwal's welfare schemes with vibrant visuals, resonating with urban voters.
"
These visuals drive engagement through humour or sentiment but can spread misinformation — for example, a fake Rahul Gandhi resignation video in 2024, though limited to 9,000 views, fueled false narratives. In rural areas, with 76.32 per cent adult literacy, voters are particularly vulnerable to unverified content, eroding trust in media. Campaigns must weigh the persuasive power of AI content against risks of backlash and declining credibility
," Devesh Singh said.
Expert's views on how AI-generated images and memes are potent tools for shaping narratives.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence into election campaigns marks a significant turning point. From multilingual outreach and hyper-personalised messaging to the creation of visually arresting digital content, algorithms are undeniably reshaping the strategies employed by political parties.
While the human element of leadership and grassroots connection remains vital, the efficiency and scalability offered by AI in data analysis, targeted communication, and content generation are proving to be powerful new forces in the battle for votes. The digital battlefield has arrived, and algorithms are increasingly calling the shots.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Trump-Putin Alaska talks a performance for domestic audiences, not peace': Ukraine expert
In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost, Dr Hanna Shelest, Security Studies Programme Director at Prism UA and Editor-in-Chief of Ukraine Analytica, shares how Ukrainians are perceiving the Alaska Summit and what they are expecting from a Trump-Zelenskyy meeting The world watched closely as the US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin came face-to-face in Alaska to discuss possibilities and ways to end the war in Ukraine, which has been raging on for three-and-a-half years. However, the three hours of talks ended with no major breakthrough announcements. While addressing the American press after their meeting, neither Trump nor Putin mentioned the word ' ceasefire', and the presser ended with no questions. Soon after the summit came to an end, it was announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be visiting Washington, DC, to discuss the takeaways from the Alaska summit with Trump. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Multiple reports from different media outlets suggested that Putin wants Ukraine to cede two of the four regions Russia has staked claim on (Donetsk and Luhansk), and freeze the front lines in the other two (Kherson and Zaporizhzhia). Russia controls nearly all of Luhansk, and about three-quarters of Donetsk. However, Zelenskyy has opposed all suggestions that compromise Ukraine's pre-war territorial integrity. In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost's Bhagyasree Sengupta, Dr Hanna Shelest, the Security Studies programme director at Prism UA and the editor-in-chief of Ukraine Analytica, said Putin apparently aimed for delaying sanctions in his meeting with Trump, and might not have seriously considered the ceasefire option at this point of time. Edited excerpts: Q. The US laid out a red carpet to welcome Putin, and even Trump was applauding the Russian president's arrival. What kind of message does this send to Ukraine? The red carpet arrival was not necessary. However, with the military jets in the background, that was the play of the protocol. They wanted to display respect for Putin to put him in a good mood for negotiations, but at the same time to demonstrate the strength of the United States. In Ukraine, such a warm welcome was not accepted, considering that Putin is considered a war criminal. Even in the United States, he is under sanctions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Putin at the 2025 Alaska summit with Donald Trump. Reuters/File Photo Despite all this, there is a minor understanding that it could potentially lead to nice negotiations that could be accepted. However, as we saw in the final press conference, it looks like the red carpet was positively accepted only by the Russian media and is now actively being used in the Russian state propaganda. Q. What do you make of Russian President Putin's claim that Russia and the US should 'turn the page and go back to cooperation'? Do you see genuine scope for such a reset, or is it primarily rhetorical? There are no preconditions for 'turning the page' as of now. However, we understand that from the very beginning, since 2021, the rhetoric of the Russian president was that Ukraine doesn't matter, that all issues should be resolved just between Washington and Moscow. So in this case, Putin wanted to demonstrate that the page can be turned when it comes to global politics, trade, issues about China, Iran, Syria, etc. But Ukraine is just one of the small issues. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That's how he usually tries to present it at the international forum where he is meeting the US representative or someone from Brics. He would like to present that it is not a major geopolitical and security concern of the whole world, as for now, because it has ruined all the international norms. But it is one of the issues that they can easily overcome. He is marginalising the issue, and in this case, he hoped that Trump could jump onto other issues like Iran or China instead of discussing the war in Ukraine. Q. The word ceasefire was not mentioned by either leader after the talks. What does this signify? The word ceasefire was not mentioned because that is not what Putin wants. His idea was to postpone sanctions, not to call a ceasefire. Also consider that the same night, the Russian armed forces sent more than 100 drones and ballistic missiles against Ukraine. So it doesn't demonstrate the goodwill of the ceasefire. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15. File image/Reuters As we know from the morning news, Putin proposed a full and quick settlement. The reason is that in this case, he is not being seen as the bad guy who is disagreeing with the ceasefire, but he perfectly understands that, considering the complexities of this war and the issues that are currently in play, it is impossible to have a quick solution in one meeting. Q. Putin repeatedly said that Russia's 'legitimate concerns' must be addressed as part of any peace deal. In your view, what are the likely demands underlying this phrasing, and how might they clash with Ukrainian and European interests? 'Legitimate concerns,' he even said, the 'prerequisites of this war'. In Ukraine, the answer is that the main reason for this war is Putin himself. It was his unilateral decision after which he made the whole country, the Russian Federation, believe that the war was necessary. That is the rhetoric he had been using even earlier than 2022. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His legitimate concern was whether Ukraine should join Nato even when it was officially a neutral state. We were perfectly sure that inclusion in Nato was not the main reason for Putin's concern when Finland and Sweden joined two years ago, because this organisation is purely for defence. But this became a very successful propaganda narrative because, in this case, he can blame this war on the European countries instead of blaming his aggressive intervention in Ukraine. So this phrase of legitimate concerns is quite classical for Russian diplomacy. It is what we have heard in 2022; that's what we are hearing now. But when you start asking, all his answers are de facto about the invasion of Ukraine and the dismantling of statehood. We saw in some of the media that one of the demands he had was that Ukraine would reconsider learning the Ukrainian language in Ukrainian schools. That's something inappropriate; that's not a question of sovereignty, but that's just a demonstration of the imperial policy of Russia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Q. Ukraine was not given a seat at the Alaska table, excluding Kyiv's agency over its own future. What risks does it pose? Yes, Ukraine was not given a seat. However, it was not expected this time. I think it is not a big problem considering that we already have an announcement that on Monday, President Zelenskyy will be in Washington and they will have bilateral negotiations. Trump immediately informed the Ukrainian president as well as European and Nato leaders. Yellow Ribbon activists in Crimea and the occupied Luhansk region resist Russian occupation. X / @yellowribbonENG So we understand that the dialogue is happening, and considering the press conference, we understand that there were no agreements without agreement from Ukraine and European partners for this deal. Q. Putin warned Europe not to 'torpedo the nascent progress'. Do you think this is a veiled criticism of France and Germany in particular, and how do you think they will react to being essentially cautioned in this way? Putin's criticism of France and Germany is not legitimate, and it is understandable because he always thought that he could make some shadow deal with Washington, and he understands that Europeans would be working according to the values and national interests of Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They are those who became the mediators between Ukraine and Washington when the relations spoiled, and they really became the translators of the Ukrainian position and of the Ukrainian national interest and security. Because they understand that it is not only about Ukraine but also about European security in total. That's why he needs to spoil the reputation. He needs to blame somebody else, and why not Europeans, because he knows that he can always disrupt the perception between European countries and the United States. For Putin, it is extremely important to single out Washington because he never knows how to work against the Union, against the organisation. They are too strong; they are united. That's why he always wants to single out individual nations of Europe or Nato. In this case, it is the United States because he assumes that it is much easier to persuade Nato. Q. Putin endorsed Trump's claim that there would not have been a war in Ukraine if the latter had been the US president in 2022. How do you interpret this narrative? I don't believe that there would have been no war if Trump were the president back in 2022 because former US President Joe Biden was really soft on Putin as well. He was ready for the concessions and the fact that Putin could have these concessions regarding, for example, future nato membership of Ukraine without direct aggression or intervention of the independent state. Putin and Biden talked for three hours in 2021. Reuters So now it is more playing with the ego and more playing with this concerned statement of Mr Trump against his predecessor. That was more of a diplomatic trick, the attempt to manipulate the emotions of the US President, and was he successful? Yeah, maybe. Q. In your final assessment, did the Alaska summit move the needle even marginally on bringing genuine peace closer, or did it mainly serve as a stage for performative diplomacy? I would say the Alaska summit was more of a performance for the domestic audience in Russia and the US rather than bringing actual peace because the statements in the end demonstrated that the positions didn't become closer and the requests of conditions made by Putin are absolutely the same that were made three and a half years ago. Here, the main question is, have we become closer to peace? Definitely not, but has it served the interests of the Russian Federation? Yes, absolutely, because we know that the sanctions are not being imposed, and he would not impose a ceasefire right now. So in this case, it was quite a win for the Russian side; however, let's see how the situation changes on Monday.
The Hindu
16 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Visva-Bharati refuses to allow lecture on Amartya Sen in its library
After a lull that included the appointment of a new fulltime Vice-Chancellor, the political atmosphere in Visva-Bharati appears to be heating up once again with the Rabindranath Tagore-founded institution not allowing a lecture on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to be held in its library auditorium. The lecture, scheduled for August 14 by noted economist Jean Dreze, was organised by a Bengali little magazine called Anustup, which recently brought out a special issue on Prof. Sen, in collaboration with Visva-Bharati's Department of Economics and Politics, and the A.K. Dasgupta Centre for Planning and Development. Following the university's refusal to grant permission, the event was held, on the same day, at a private auditorium called Geetanjali. 'Amartya Sen is a child of the Santiniketan library and of India's most illustrious scholars. It is startling that an event celebrating his work had to be shifted from the library to a local hall in Bolpur. So much for the freedom of expression,' Mr. Dreze told The Hindu. On the event not being allowed in the university, Visva-Bharati PRO Atig Ghosh said: 'Nobody is given permission to hold an event in the university exactly at the same time as a heritage event is taking place in the university. In this case, the Rabindra Saptaha lecture was scheduled to take place at Lipika Auditorium from 7 p.m. and no other overlapping programme could be permitted.' But professors who were looking forward to the lecture being held in the university library said that the Rabindra Saptaha (or Tagore Week) was inaugurated on August 8 by Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar and that the event was in no way interfering with the ongoing heritage event. 'The real reason for the refusal to grant the auditorium is that both Amartya Sen and Jean Drèze are regarded as eyesores by the BJP-led government at the Centre,' a teacher said. What's surprising is that immediately after Mr. Drèze's speech, Visva-Bharati issued a notification removing Prof. Apurba Kumar Chattopadhyay, one of the organisers of the lecture, from his position as chairperson of the A.K. Dasgupta Centre. He had been appointed to the position on May 21. The order for his removal was issued immediately after the lecture. On August 6, following the controversy erupting from the letter of a Delhi Police officer who called Bangla a 'Bangladeshi language', the university issued a gag order reiterating that no one from the institution should speak to the media without the permission of the V-C or going through the PRO. This, too, has not gone down well with many in Visva-Bharati, who were hoping that such restrictions would ease under the new V-C.
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
TMC's Anubrata Mondal gets anticipatory bail in case for abusing cop's family
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to skip the inauguration of three Kolkata metro projects by Prime Minister Modi on August 22. This decision follows allegations of harassment against Bengali migrants in BJP-ruled states. A state official stated that Banerjee, who originally planned these projects, does not wish to share the stage with central government officials amid ongoing protests against discrimination.
