Digital Politics in India’s 2019 General Elections

International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 2019

the use of social media has become a new strategy for the political parties during election campaign. The social media is playing a significant role in changing people’s perception towards politics, politicians and modes of political participation. The advent of budget smart phones and affordable data packages has given greater scope for people to voice their opinion on social and political issues. With accounts in every social media platforms, the political parties and their leaders are using it as a new space to mobilize people. Since 2014 Lok Sabha election, the social media is playing a pro-active role in deciding which party will win the election. While this has led to increased speed of spread of information and news, it has also left the ordinary people vulnerable to fake news and exposed them to ‘hate speech’. One hand, the social media is making Indian democracy more inclusive thereby giving citizens the space to express their opinion. On the other hand, it is also creating...

The Indian national election in 2014 marked the emergence of social media as a significant site of political campaigning. The sweeping of the polls by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by the party's prime ministerial candidate, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who employed social media extensively in his campaign, has drawn further attention to the hitherto 'alternative media' space. 'Alternative media' has been positioned and studied in relation to mainstream media. This article illustrates the ways in which the perceptions of mainstream media in a liberalised economy contoured the 'alternative media' space, limiting its potential to lead to radical and transformative processes of communication. In the process, the article interrogates the online space occupied by political parties and activists in the context of theoretical understandings of 'alternative' and 'critical' media. The article flags the need for, and the significance of, sustained study of the emerging new media space to understand the process of reconstitution of the Indian public space.

International Journal of Communication, 2016

The impact of the Internet on politics and electoral campaigns is the focus of considerable—and, as yet, unsettled—debate. This article focuses on the manner in which the Bharatiya Janata Party—which became the first party since 1984 to win an absolute majority in India’s parliament—engaged citizen supporters in the party’s successful social media campaign. Employing data from interviews with party functionaries and volunteers, we examine the extent to which interaction with supporters represented an effort to shift away from the traditional top-down model of campaigning toward a participatory approach.

Journal of Media and Social Development, 2014

The 2014 general elections in India were significant for a number of reasons, most significantly was the widespread use of social media by most parties in their campaigns. This essay is not an analysis of the effectiveness of social media used by political parties in the campaign rather it is the examination of the social media campaign used by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) for the national elections in India in 2014 and how this has created an effective ‘public’, as defined by Michael Warner. The essay will examine online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the BJPs community organizing website – Mission272+ to demonstrate this.

Public Policy and Administration Research, 2014

Information technology and communication has reshaped the existing socioeconomic and political systems. Change in Political Participation is explicit especially among the youth and women in this age of ITC. This is because digital age provides ample opportunities for public response in a lightening pace. Public discourses taking place through website have evolved into not only a medium for personal expression and mutual support but also challenges the old political cultures. Now citizen is not shear listener but also a speaker who can influence the public decision making. In the Delhi Rape case the public protest through internet has influenced justice Verma Committee which finally led to Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance 2013 providing death penalty in case of rape. Transforming the ways and means of interest aggregation and interest articulation, ICT has strengthened the inputs of political system. A shift from representative democracy (prone to elitism as observed by Mitchels) to participatory democracy in the digital world is expected by certain scholars. However, Digital divide arising out of poor accessibility and affordability of hi-tech devices and cyber crimes such as hacking create formidable challenge to digital democracy. The future and continuing well-being of level of political participation and civic engagement falls on the shoulders of its youngest citizens. Despite the apathy of youth towards the traditional democratic practices and the cultural displacement some scholars view that the young people may become politically socialized with in the media environment. The expected change in the Political spectrum would be visible by the participation of women and youth. Demographic reports show that by 2020 India would become the youngest country with an average age of 29. As a result of this overwhelming change in the political life a decisive shift in the political culture is certain.

The discourse in public space on media at the time of the 2014 Parliamentary elections to 543 seats in 28 states and 7 union territories with 814.5 million voters was characterized by two seemingly disparate but interconnected issues: first, that mainstream media was partisan and wavering in its loyalties to political parties; and secondly, an intense focus on the social media as the most effective means to reach the 23 million first-time voters in a nation with 16 per cent Internet penetration. This article explores the role of the mainstream media in the elections in the context of the shift in India's economic policy which has led to the prioritization of commercial interests by media while relegating other considerations to the background. As a result of the overriding commercial agenda of mainstream media, it has pushed political actors, activists and voters alike onto the new media space. The employment of new media space during the 2014 Indian elections is, thus, to be read in the context of mainstream media's role rather than in the context of new technologies' potential to impact upon democratic politics. It must be noted that media's disregard of other considerations, including ideology, however, cannot be construed as an argument that media were neutral.

DIGITISATION IS IN THE AIR : TRENDS IN DIGITAL POLITICAL COMMUNICATION OF INDIA : SOME OBSERVATIONS , 2023

The world is increasingly becoming smaller and smaller. The fast pace of globalisation and liberalisation have brought in revolutionary sweeping changes so much so that we dwell in a “global village" now, with “connectivity” and “communication" as the key words. The massive technological revolution and the pervasive use of technology in each and every sphere of our life even for a ‘Nano' second have no doubt made our living and life, what can be called ‘digital'! Thanks to the smart phones and the apps- communication in all its forms, is being digitalised and reaching out to the masses. Interestingly and truly “political communication” hasn’t been left out of this “digitalised purview" and for the last few years have taken new shapes and forms, owing to the massive use of social media. This brings us to the question of how this newer form of political communication, the digital version is rolling out and shaping public discourses around the world, the ways and trends through which technology is defining political communication in India, a path-breaking phenomenon that has engrossed the country since 2014.

isara solutions, 2022

Social media usage has evolved into a new tactic for political parties during election campaign. The social media has a big part to play in how people view politics, politicians, and ways to get involved in politics. The introduction of inexpensive smart phones and data plans has increased people's ability to express their opinions on social and political concerns. Political parties and their leaders are adopting social media, where they have accounts on all major platforms, as a new forum for mobilizing people. Since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, social media has taken an active position in predicting which party will prevail. While this has accelerated the spread of information and news, it has also exposed the general public to 'hate speech' and made them susceptible to fake news. On the one hand, social media is expanding India's democratic space and enabling citizens to voice their opinions. On the other hand, by spreading misinformation and false information, it is also causing a gap between various populations. Therefore, using it should be subject to some limitations. A democracy may become chaotic and unstable as a result of the overuse. Due to the widespread use of social media platforms, research into the potential effects on public opinion and voting behavior is important. The goal of the current study is to determine how social media is used in India's electoral politics.

RUDN Journal of Studies in Literature and Journalism , 2020

The role of social media during 16th Lok Sabha elections has led to several insights in the manner in which the youth of today is consuming political news. Several social media platforms have played a significant role in voting behaviour. Social media platform acted as a game changer and a catalyst in wooing young voters and influencing their opinion. While Internet users grew 7% in Urban India reaching 315 million users in 2018, digital adoption is now being propelled by rural India, registering a 35% growth in Internet users over the past year. Also, there have come a general perception that television will play a lesser role in this upcoming election and digital media will play a never before seen influence on voters. This research examines the behaviour of youth in India and examines the level of influence by social media in casting their vote in Lok Sabha elections. Whether social media can be a game-changer or an influencer. These findings will be carried out by this research work

AMITESH PUBLISHER & COMPANY, 2024

The evolution of social media has explicitly transformed the perspective of Indian politics, creating both opportunities and challenges that somehow reshaped political communication, engagement, and mobilization. Social media has democratized information dissemination, allowing political actors to bypass traditional media and directly engage with the electorate. It has also facilitated grassroots mobilization, enabled real-time feedback, and fostered new forms of political participation, particularly among the youth. The paper examines these issues within the context of Indian elections, focusing on case studies that illustrate both the pros and cons effects of social media on democratic procedures. Moreover, it discusses the implications of social media for political transparency, accountability, and the future of electoral politics in India. The study concludes by offering policy recommendations to mitigate the risks associated with social media while maximizing its potential to enhance democratic governance in India.