The landslide victory of Narendra Modi led BJP and NDA in the just concluded general elections has predictably given food for thought for the political analysts. It is now time to decode the mystery behind this mind-boggling electoral achievement and analyse the success recipe. The wave of nationalism with Modi as the indisputable nationalist icon is a prima facie factor which is being  widely attributed to it. And if there is any vehicle that has most efficiently helped in reaching this wave into the minds of the Indian electorate is the social media. In 2014, campaigning via social media was done with elan, but this time it has been carried out with more professionalism and has thus yielded rich dividends for the ruling dispensation.

Before commencement of the campaign war it was presumed that the art of reaching out to voters will get a new dimension. Besides large rallies, street corner meetings and similar field-level activities which have been synonymous with any Indian election for long, social media campaigning is also going to make an impactful difference. As things unfolded over the last two and a half months, it tallied with the presumptions and all the contesting parties, enamoured with the charm and efficacy of the social media took refuge in them and tried to milk them to the fullest. But just as in any contest there are winners and losers, 2019 election shows that the BJP led NDA have outsmarted the opponents.

It’s a fact that internet access has surged beyond all expectations in the country and with the proliferation of smartphones and cheap data, there are hundreds of millions of users making the country by far the biggest market in the world. In terms of combined number of users taking into account all the popular social media platforms, India is within the top global ten in the world. They have evolved to be the most prolific communication tools and redefined the term of ‘election campaign’ by their sheer potential of reaching out instantly to the voterswith political messages and all sorts of scheme of things and exerting influence. It also comes at a financial cost relatively cheaper when compared to the other tangible tools of conventional campaigning. 2019 election has shown that the vital tasks of shaping public opinion and mandate of the vast Indian electorate can be performed with greater efficiency, if this virtual world is harnessed with care, dedication and steadfastness.

It’s a proven digital delight which all political parties will wish to have a taste in the coming elections at all levels. And it will also be a treat for the electorate to watch the tussle for boarding this bandwagon.

The landslide victory of Narendra Modi led BJP and NDA in the just concluded general elections has predictably given food for thought for the political analysts. It is now time to decode the mystery behind this mind-boggling electoral achievement and analyse the success recipe. The wave of nationalism with Modi as the indisputable nationalist icon is a prima facie factor which is being  widely attributed to it. And if there is any vehicle that has most efficiently helped in reaching this wave into the minds of the Indian electorate is the social media. In 2014, campaigning via social media was done with elan, but this time it has been carried out with more professionalism and has thus yielded rich dividends for the ruling dispensation.

Before commencement of the campaign war it was presumed that the art of reaching out to voters will get a new dimension. Besides large rallies, street corner meetings and similar field-level activities which have been synonymous with any Indian election for long, social media campaigning is also going to make an impactful difference. As things unfolded over the last two and a half months, it tallied with the presumptions and all the contesting parties, enamoured with the charm and efficacy of the social media took refuge in them and tried to milk them to the fullest. But just as in any contest there are winners and losers, 2019 election shows that the BJP led NDA have outsmarted the opponents.

It’s a fact that internet access has surged beyond all expectations in the country and with the proliferation of smartphones and cheap data, there are hundreds of millions of users making the country by far the biggest market in the world. In terms of combined number of users taking into account all the popular social media platforms, India is within the top global ten in the world. They have evolved to be the most prolific communication tools and redefined the term of ‘election campaign’ by their sheer potential of reaching out instantly to the voterswith political messages and all sorts of scheme of things and exerting influence. It also comes at a financial cost relatively cheaper when compared to the other tangible tools of conventional campaigning. 2019 election has shown that the vital tasks of shaping public opinion and mandate of the vast Indian electorate can be performed with greater efficiency, if this virtual world is harnessed with care, dedication and steadfastness.

It’s a proven digital delight which all political parties will wish to have a taste in the coming elections at all levels. And it will also be a treat for the electorate to watch the tussle for boarding this bandwagon.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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