With just a few thousand followers, these creators combine dialects, humour, and everyday storytelling to engage their communities, according to industry experts.
These efforts are a mix of both collaborations with political parties and independent initiatives by influencers. Some regional creators team up with political parties for structured campaigns, creating promotional videos, covering events, and publishing posts highlighting party manifestos or key government schemes.
Several influencers also work independently, focusing on issues such as employment opportunities, welfare schemes, local governance, and voter education.
“Micro and nano influencers played a hyper-local role, especially in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar,” said Avishek Mukherjee,creative director at BC Web Wise, a digital marketing agency.
“What stood out was that they weren’t always pushing a party line. Many were just reflecting the local mood, issues like price hikes, potholes, unemployment, or even the chaos at polling booths. It was political, but not propaganda,” he said.
Mukherjee cited the example of creators like Chandani Bhagat in Madhya Pradesh, who used short videos or reels to explain government schemes such as ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ that’s aimed at women’s health and nutrition.
In Bihar, micro-influencers drove youth voter sign-ups with skits and dance reels. Nagpur saw local content creators join hands with civic bodies to improve voter awareness through memes and short videos.
While some influencers collaborated with political parties or state bodies to simplify welfare schemes through short reels, others sparked conversations independently through satire, poetry, or regional memes.
To be sure, some influencers are approached by political parties to promote their narrative. But instead of polished videos or product-style endorsements, the brief to influencers is to speak to the audience in their own style. Deliverables usually include reels, stories, or live sessions.
Walking a political tightrope
Several influencers also create election-related content on their own either because it is topical and can drive engagement, or as they genuinely care about an issue.
“Regional creators are more attuned to local issues, making their political content more candid and relevant” said Umer Madhiya, senior account manager, White Rivers Media, an independent digital marketing agency.
“Unlike mainstream influencers, who often focuson broader topics, regional creators address specific concerns like local governance and welfare schemes. They use local language, humour, and cultural references to build stronger connections with their followers,” he added.
That said, some experts highlighted that the distinction between mainstream and regional creators isn’t stark given that both face similar levels of scrutiny when engaging in politically charged content.
Regardless of category or reach, any influencer who engages in political discourse is likely to face trolling, backlash, and online abuse. The intensity of the response may vary based on the creator’s audience size, tone, and political alignment, but the risk is universal, experts said.
“In many states, especially across South India, there’s a noticeable hesitation among influencers when it comes to endorsing political leaders. The general public tends to be critical of influencers who align themselves with a particular party or figure, often leading to backlash and unwanted controversy,” said Shivashish Tarkas, founder, The InterMentalist, an influencer marketing network and agency in South India.
As a result, only a small percentage of influencers actively participate in political campaigns—typically those who are vocal about their political stance and have an audience accustomed to such content, Tarkas added.
“Most influencers choose to stay neutral, avoiding political affiliations to protect their brand and engagement. Even when it comes to promoting government schemes—often used as a subtle way to endorse the ruling party or leader—the number of willing influencers remains limited,” he said.
“The perceived risks outweigh the benefits for many, making political promotions a sensitive and niche space in the influencer ecosystem.”
