Elections in the Age of Social Media
In the wake of digital, and social media expansion in India, public discourse and the autonomy of public opinion has been challenged. India’s 2019 general election was the first national election contested within a truly digital consumption society, wherein approximately half the voting population had access to digital pathways, and another one-third had access to social media. In line with the global trend, social media has been increasingly used by Indian politicians for routine political communication to directly connect with their supporters.
This special series focuses on the 2019 General Elections held in India and assesses activities on digital platforms and the ways in which they are inseparable from larger political mobilisation.
Draft versions of the papers were presented at a workshop organised by the Institute of South Asian Studies, NUS, and Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung.
