Is India's would-be Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, taking election advice from the worst spin doctors ever? New images urging Indians to vote Modi might suggest so. In one, model Meghna Patel holds a white poster bearing the words "Vote for Narendra Modi" over her otherwise naked torso. In others, she poses nude – but for a few strategically placed petals, American Beauty style – clutching a photograph of Modi.
As it turns out, they are not official election materials and though they may have gone viral, it seems Patel's photos will not have helped Modi's cause. His party, the BJP, have already distanced themselves from the unwanted free advertising. Party spokesperson Madhav Bhandhari said: "We welcome people supporting us, but we are not in support of such vulgar displays. If you want to support Modi, there are other ways like attending his rallies. We completely condemn this behaviour."
So why did she do it? That depends who you ask. Patel has defended the pictures as a valid form of political expression, telling Indian newspapers: "You can't call it nude or vulgar. I was wearing all my clothes. This is how I am expressing my support for Modi and the BJP." But this is hard to believe, mostly because it implies that her entire wardrobe consists of flower petals and cardboard posters.
A more plausible explanation is that Patel, known in India for one small television role, was using Modi's high profile to raise her own. Not least because the pictures' release coincided with a meeting between Modi and US ambassador Nancy Powell, after nine years of frosty relations over his role in religious riots in Gujarat.
It seems to have worked for her: a visit to her personal website returns the error message "Bandwidth Limit Exceeded". A rare story, then, of politics being used to make nudity interesting.
