As Gujarat heads to civic polls on April 26, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has introduced a new layer to its candidate selection process- one that places significant weight on social media presence,
viral content and artificial intelligence-generated profiles of aspirants.
Party observers assessing candidates for municipal corporation seats across the state are now asking aspiring leaders to submit details of their social media accounts and follower counts, the number of viral reels they have produced for the party, their capability to drive digital narratives and an AI-generated overview of their public profile, The Indian Express reported. These metrics sit alongside more traditional indicators of ground-level work.
The BJP has deployed AI-based software to process the large volume of applications received, particularly in Surat and Vadodara, where competition for tickets has been fierce. In Surat’s 30 wards and Vadodara’s 19 wards, the party received roughly four times as many contenders per seat as there are seats available with close to 100 aspirants per ward in both cities.
Aspirants in Vadodara turned up to observation committee meetings carrying folders documenting their digital footprints. Several party leaders told The Indian Express they had begun building up their social media profiles as early as February, when it became apparent that digital presence would carry significant weight in the selection process.
One aspirant, who has applied for tickets from three wards, said the party was looking at “adaptability in the digital age,” adding that online outreach now dwarfs ground-level reach.
“This is an experiment that has been tried in south India and a few other states and is being implemented in Gujarat for the first time,” he told the outlet. Among the more striking submissions was a 45-page biodata filed by advocate Harshad Parmar, former Vadodara city media convenor and member of the party’s SC Morcha, who described himself as an “Instagram reel creator and influencer.” Parmar cited a recent reel targeting AAP MLA Gopal Italia that garnered one million views and another questioning Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani that drew 500,000.
“There is no shying away while claiming a ticket,” Parmar told The Indian Express.
A senior BJP functionary stressed that the AI output was only one input among many.
“The final decision on handing out tickets will of course rest with the top leaders and the state executive wing of the party,” he said, adding that the party retained the option to field candidates who had not even submitted nomination forms in certain seats.
Counting for the April 26 elections is scheduled for April 28. All major municipal corporations in Gujarat will go to the polls except Junagadh and Gandhinagar.
