Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again shattered all records, maintaining his position as the most followed world leader on X (formerly Twitter) with 100 million followers. Additionally, he has 94.4 million followers on the popular image-sharing app, Instagram.
PM Modi vs. Rahul Gandhi
PM Modi’s third consecutive term as Prime Minister is a testament to his popularity. Recently, former Congress President and Gandhi Parivar Scion Rahul Gandhi was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the lower house of parliament, making him the opposition counterpart to PM Modi. PM Modi has 100 million followers, which is four times that of Rahul Gandhi, who has a mere 26.4 million followers on X. During the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party aggressively portrayed their high social media reach, claiming that the BJP could not catch up. The follower count of both leaders clearly demonstrates PM Modi’s overwhelming popularity.
Is Brand Modi Losing Its Popularity?
Despite Congress’s attempts to portray the BJP, especially PM Modi, as losing credibility while Rahul Gandhi gains popularity, the numbers tell a different story. In the last month, when loksabha results were announced, PM Modi has gained 1.2 million more followers on X, while Rahul Gandhi has gained only 394,000, which is one-third of Modi’s increase. This clear disparity in follower growth underscores PM Modi’s enduring popularity and influence.
PM Modi vs. Other State Leaders
The era of coalition politics has produced many “PM in waiting” politicians who are now trying to conserve their political capital under the tent of the INDI bloc. Leaders like Akhilesh Yadav have 19 million followers and gained 150,000 followers last month. Former deputy CM of Bihar, Tejashvi Yadav, has only 5 million followers and added 28,000 followers. Veteran leader Sharad Pawar from Baramati has only 2.9 million followers, while Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has 7.4 million followers.
Brand Modi is Bigger than the INDI Alliance
Interestingly, Prime Minister Modi’s followers are equal to the collective followers of all INDI alliance members. The INDI Alliance, comprising Rahul Gandhi (29 million), Arvind Kejriwal (27.5 million), Akhilesh Yadav (19 million), Tejashvi Yadav (5 million), Sharad Pawar (3 million), M K Stalin (3.8 million), Omar Abdullah (3 million), Uddhav Thackeray (1.6 million), Siddaramaiah (1 million), Hemant Soren (1 million), and Sitaram Yechury (1 million), totals 94.9 million followers, while PM Modi alone has 100 million.
PM Modi vs. World Leaders
In comparison to other world leaders, PM Modi’s popularity on X is unparalleled. Joe Biden (US) has 38.1 million followers, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey) has 21.5 million, HH Sheikh Mohammed (UAE) has 11.2 million, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico) has 10.9 million, Justin Trudeau (Canada) has 6.5 million, and Giorgia Meloni (Italy) has 2.4 million. PM Modi remains more popular than all these world leaders. Due to PM Modi’s popularity on X, world leaders are eager to engage with him on social media, as connecting with him significantly boosts their follower base, engagements, views, and reposts. This trend has been observed recently in Italy and Austria.
PM Modi’s Popularity vs. Global Athletes and Celebrities
PM Modi even surpasses some active global athletes such as Virat Kohli (64.1 million), Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr. (63.6 million), and American basketball player LeBron James (52.9 million). He is also ahead of celebrities like Taylor Swift (95.3 million), Lady Gaga (83.1 million), and Kim Kardashian (75.2 million).
Tech-Savvy PM Modi
PM Modi has always been a tech-savvy leader and has never missed an opportunity to use technology to connect with people. He was one of the early leaders to join Twitter in 2009. He regularly posts content on his website and uses innovative technologies, such as 3D holograms, to reach out to people. His radio program “Mann Ki Baat” is one of the most popular radio programs. A survey conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak, shows that at least 230 million people regularly listen to or view Modi’s monthly radio broadcast, and over a billion people have listened to it at least once.
As a leader, PM Modi has regularly interacted with and supported social media influencers who contribute positively, such as fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria. In 2024, PM Modi founded the National Creators Award to recognize the efforts and contributions of content creators across 20 categories, including Education, Social Change, Gaming, Agriculture, and Culture. This initiative has given the profession legitimacy and motivated many young Indians.
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