Get a fake photo with the country’s leader: an unusual campaign tactic

Quartz reports on the Narendra Modi selfie booths being used ahead of assembly elections in Delhi:

“People have a fascination to take photos with Modiji,” said 18-year-old Suyash Aggarwal, a volunteer at the BJP headquarters…

Aggarwal mans the photo booth at Ashoka Road — among the 2,500 planned by the BJP in the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections on Feb. 7 — for eight hours every day. He takes pictures of visitors, termed “Selfie with Modi,” which he then delivers to them via email or SMS within 24 hours.

But Modi isn’t actually himself present in any of these so-called “selflies.”

Instead, the photo is taken with a mobile application, which shows Indian prime minister’s smiling face in the frame, next to the person whose picture is being taken.

There’s even a special website to show the fake photos which makes for a clever endorsement message: showing the photos of real voters all around the place backing the BJP.

This isn’t the first time Modi has tried unusual campaign technology:

Ahead of the national elections in 2014, Modi used 3D hologram technology to address public rallies, which cost the party more than Rs60 crore ($9.73 million). In 2012, he created a Guinness world record when his 3D holographic speech was concurrently broadcast in 53 locations during election campaigns in Gujarat.

Ah holograms…