After online parody group's rise, Kejriwal shifts to informal Instagram reels

Within 24 hours of a social media parody group gaining millions of followers online, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal made a significant shift in his messaging approach.

The AAP supremo, whose Instagram account was previously filled with edited videos of press conferences and speeches, began shooting and posting vertical reels. These videos are simple, with minimal editing, and are made specifically for the platform. The change appears to be working: videos posted since then have mostly received more views than his earlier content, with one clip crossing 55 million views – the highest ever for Mr. Kejriwal.

On May 17, a day after the parody group was formed, Mr. Kejriwal posted his first such reel, talking about distress over the NEET exam. “If you are in depression, share your feelings with me in the comment section or DM me. We will together try to fix the NEET. Send your suggestions and solutions too,” he said. That video received 7.8 million views on Instagram.

A senior AAP leader said Mr. Kejriwal’s thinking seems to be “let me talk to people, especially Gen Z, in the form and medium which they use to communicate.” However, the leader added that there has been no directive for other leaders to follow suit. “Party line to everyone is generally to talk about a particular issue, but not which medium or how to do it. Many leaders are still using their old style and horizontal videos,” the leader said.

Another leader noted that posting on Instagram allows Mr. Kejriwal to reach people anytime, without the limitations of press conferences. Though other senior leaders such as Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia have experimented with similar formats, none has matched Mr. Kejriwal’s success.

On May 20, Mr. Kejriwal posted another video, beginning with a typical influencer-style greeting, “Hello Bacchon.” The video appears to have been shot on his phone. After the introduction, he turned the camera to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who announced free bus travel for students on the NEET re-examination. Mr. Kejriwal then turned the phone back to himself and encouraged students to work hard and stay hopeful.

Since then, Mr. Kejriwal has continued posting such reels, often from his car, room, or party office. Although he initially seemed slightly uncomfortable in front of the camera, he now appears more at ease. Many of these videos remain deliberately casual and rough, in keeping with the informal tone.

Hours before a scheduled march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on August 5, Mr. Kejriwal posted a video apparently shot on his phone. He said they were going to march to the PM’s residence, then turned the camera around the room to show about six other leaders, each speaking a line or two about the protest, before ending the video with “jai hind.”

Of the 12 most-viewed videos on his Instagram, seven have been shot in this format, and all of them were posted after May 17.