‘Our real friend. Our PM.’ Modi’s BJP attempts to mend bridges with India’s youth

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is actively working to mend fences with the country's youth, a demographic that has shown growing frustration over employment and education prospects. This outreach follows large-scale youth-led demonstrations that highlighted these concerns.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has notably enhanced his presence on platforms like Instagram. He employs vertical selfie-style videos, contemporary references, humor, and less formal language to connect with younger audiences. In a recent video, Modi expressed forgiveness towards students who had used expletives against him during earlier protests, signaling a conciliatory approach.

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The BJP realises that youths make up a bloc that was instrumental in ensuring the party’s win in the 2024 election. It is one reason they don’t want to lose support among young voters.

This strategic shift acknowledges the significant influence of young voters. Over 40% of India's billion-plus voters are between 18 and 39 years old. In the 2024 general election, 39% of voters aged 18-25 supported the BJP, giving the party the largest share among this age group. Political analysts emphasize that the BJP recognizes the youth bloc's instrumental role in their electoral success and is keen to retain their support.

The party's current youth engagement marks a considerable departure from its earlier stance. During recent protests, leaders like former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP president Nitin Nabin had strongly criticized the youth-led groups, labeling them as divisive and even as the "B team of terrorists." This new strategy appears to prioritize dialogue and connection over confrontation.

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I think for these reasons the (BJP-led) government became sensitive as early as they could and decided to enter into a dialogue (with the protesters).