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The New Grammar of Politics: How Digital is Reshaping Campaigning from Bihar to Ranchi

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Politics in India has always been local before it was national. A candidate in a panchayat contest, a ward race, or a municipal election still wins or loses on old things: caste arithmetic, community networks, personal reputation, attendance at funerals and weddings, the ability to solve a broken drain or get a ration card unstuck. Yet over the last few years, a new layer has been added to this old machinery of persuasion. Campaigning now runs not only through mohalla meetings and loudspeakers, but through screens, short videos, broadcast lists, and hashtags. The grammar of political communication has changed, and in places as different as Bihar and Ranchi, even the most local civic polls are being rewritten by digital logic. What is striking is not simply that politicians are “going online.” That has become a tired phrase. The deeper change is that digital tools are no longer just extensions of the campaign; they are becoming the campaign itself. A candidate’s online presence is inc...
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Iran at the Crossroads: Domestic Fracture, Regional Conflict, and the Struggle for Survival

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Abstract The Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself at a precarious juncture. External military pressure, a crippling sanctions regime, and deep internal fractures have converged to create a crisis that challenges the very foundations of the regime. This article examines the interplay between Iran's nuclear ambitions, its regional proxy network, and the domestic political dynamics that have shaped its response to escalating confrontation with the United States and Israel. Drawing on analysis from the 2025-2026 period, the article argues that Iran's leadership is divided less over the principle of regime survival than over the tactics required to achieve it—a division that has been exposed by the wartime killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the emergence of a more opaque, militarised decision-making structure. The article further examines Iran's shifting relationships with regional and global powers, the economic impact of sanctions, and the prospects for either diplom...
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The Revolving Door at Number 10: Understanding Britain's Unprecedented Prime Ministerial Turnover

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Abstract Since 2016, six British Prime Ministers have left office before the next general election—a rate of turnover without modern precedent. This article traces the trajectory from David Cameron's resignation after the Brexit referendum to Keir Starmer's departure in June 2026, examining the causes and consequences of a decade of political instability. It argues that while individual failings have played a part, the deeper drivers include the structural shock of Brexit, reforms to internal party rules that have lowered the threshold for leadership challenges, the erosion of traditional party loyalties, and mounting economic pressures that have left successive governments unable to deliver visible results. The article concludes that Britain's revolving door at Downing Street reflects not merely a series of unfortunate leaders but a fundamental crisis of governability in the post-Brexit era. 1. Introduction: A Decade of Instability When Keir Starmer stood outside 10 Down...
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The Rise of the Politician-Influencer: Lessons from Zohran Mamdani for India

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Abstract The ascent of Zohran Mamdani from a little-known state assemblyman to Mayor of New York City represents something genuinely novel in political communication, demonstrating the potential of what might be termed the "politician-influencer" model in the digital age. This article analyses Mamdani's successful integration of social media fluency, authentic personal branding, and creator-economy strategies to build a winning electoral coalition. It then examines the potential and limitations of adapting this model for India's vastly more complex, diverse, and stratified political landscape. Drawing on campaign data, expert analysis, and comparative observations, the article argues that while Mamdani's approach offers valuable lessons in narrative ownership, platform-native communication, and youth mobilisation, its wholesale transplantation to India is constrained by the country's linguistic diversity, caste dynamics, regional political structures, and the...
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The Surge of Political Ad Spending: What it Means for Commercial Brands 

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The 2024 election season unleashed something of a perfect storm across India’s advertising market, and commercial brands were left scrapping for whatever crumbs of attention remained in a landscape so thoroughly saturated with political messaging. It rather makes you wonder: what happens when democracy’s grandest spectacle collides headlong with the attention economy? When the parliamentary elections finally got underway, advertisers braced themselves for a tricky quarter – that much was a given. Yet few, if any, could have predicted quite how profound the ensuing disruption would prove to be. The figures, inevitably, are stark. Political parties collectively funnelled an estimated ₹3,000 to ₹3,500 crore into media advertising over the election period. This injection of political capital into an already congested advertising ecosystem did not simply dominate the news cycle; it fundamentally reconfigured the economic logic of both digital and traditional advertising for several months...
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Micro-Targeting the Indian Voter: From "Panna Pramukh" to the Individual Consumer

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If 2014 counted as India’s Facebook election and 2019 its WhatsApp one, then 2024 feels like the moment the voter became something closer to a consumer. A thorough study by the Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, which appeared in The Hindu in August 2025, makes clear how the battlefield has moved from dusty rallies to the small screens in people’s hands. Digital advertising has turned into an absolute necessity for shaping voter behaviour. The figures reveal more than a mere spending gap. They signal the arrival of a new political era, where capital and data have come to rival — and in places nearly eclipse — traditional door-to-door efforts. One sees a sharp strategic divide rooted in the deep financial differences between the parties. The BJP mounted an industrial-scale, micro-targeted saturation drive; the Congress, more limited, relied on a focused, narrative-driven approach. This change builds directly on India’s longstanding grassroots machinery. The panna ...
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Combating Misinformation in India: The Role of Social Media Monitoring and Rapid Response

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Abstract The 2024 Indian general election and the subsequent India-Pakistan military escalation in May 2025 exposed the scale and sophistication of information warfare in the world's largest democracy. This article examines the growing threat of coordinated disinformation campaigns—including the use of fake accounts, doctored media, and AI-generated content—and the institutional responses that have emerged to counter them. Drawing on parliamentary committee reports, government initiatives, academic research, and case studies from recent elections and conflicts, the article analyses the effectiveness of fact-checking units, the role of social media monitoring, and the regulatory framework governing takedowns. It argues that while India has developed significant institutional capacity for monitoring and rapid response, including police-run fact-checking initiatives and AI-powered surveillance tools, the country's information ecosystem remains vulnerable to disinformation due to ...
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