How is digital campaigning shaping India’s elections?

WorklifeIndia

Five states in India are headed to regional ballots in the coming weeks. More than 180 million people are eligible to vote to choose their local leaders for nearly 690 assembly seats. Physical rallies and election roadshows have been banned due to the pandemic, and poll campaigning has shifted online, with hashtags and digital rallies dominating the election battle. Many political parties have even trained their workers as “social media warriors” to spread their message.

But can digital campaigning really be effective in states that have many regions still with little or no access to the internet? Can virtual meetings really replace the impact of seeing your leaders in person? And does misinformation influence voting behaviour?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss the way digital campaigning is shaping India’s elections.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Ankit Lal, founder, Politique Advisors; Rajika Kacheria, media joint in-charge, BJP - Gujarat North Zone; Sanjay Kumar, professor - CSDS, political analyst