India’s political infodemic: five State election notes

• The infodemic, a phenomenon where propaganda, half-truths, and outright falsehoods in political communication are spread, has significantly influenced India’s traditional electoral model.

• The infodemic is most visible in private messaging spaces like WhatsApp, where targeted propaganda is placed directly into users’ hands and everyday conversations.

• The turning point emerged during the 2014 general elections when Prime Minister Narendra Modi leveraged social media effectively, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers.

• With internet penetration in India reaching about 88 crore users and WhatsApp boasting over 59 crore active accounts, digital strategies have become indispensable campaign tools.

Infiltrating Community Spaces

• Private WhatsApp groups, initially formed for community or casual interactions, have become prime targets for propaganda.

• Local activists often compile voter lists, adding unsuspecting citizens into WhatsApp groups disguised as community forums, Resident Welfare Associations, or hobbyist groups.

• These groups gradually disseminate politically charged messages, embedding subtle propaganda into everyday interactions.

WhatsApp Pramukh Model

• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s implementation of ‘WhatsApp Pramukhs’, a highly organised mechanism, drives these digital strategies.

• These Pramukhs manage digital communications at local levels, systematically categorising voters based on caste, religion, economic status, and other demographics.

• Local booth workers, often acting as WhatsApp Pramukhs, monitor content effectiveness meticulously, tracking engagement through forwards and responses.

Data-driven Targeting and Profiling

• Hyperlocal influence hinges significantly on sophisticated voter profiling. Parties purchase or obtain voter data, analysing it to identify community affiliations, regional issues, and ideological leanings.

• In Telangana’s recent Assembly elections, the Congress cultivated digital volunteer networks, strategically highlighting agrarian distress and electricity costs to discredit incumbents, significantly impacting rural voter sentiment.

Incentivising Digital Volunteer Armies

• Parties have invested in incentivisation mechanisms, such as launching multiple apps to assign tasks, track volunteer performance, and maintain competitive leaderboards.

Democratic Implications and Challenges

• The fusion of digital platforms with traditional electoral campaigning erodes distinctions between overt advertising and covert propaganda, creating fertile ground for manipulative political communication.

• Effective countermeasures depend significantly on civil society vigilance, independent journalism, and informed citizen activism to expose and counter manipulative strategies.

• The future promises intensified battles over digital influence, as parties continuously refine methods to dominate encrypted spaces.