NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF POLARISING CAMPAIGNS
The BJP’s recent electoral successes have hinged on getting their supporters to the polls. Yet, voter fatigue, anti-incumbency, and disillusionment may have prompted the BJP to ramp up its rhetoric.
Such uncivil campaigns, however, could have a negative effect on prospective BJP voters and provide the opposition with an opportunity to galvanise their own base.
Our research in the context of 2021 West Bengal and 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections found that incivility in the campaigns have a negative effect on turnout intention.
While incivility may mobilise extreme partisans, in contexts where a large number of voters remain non-partisan, polarising campaigns can undermine the incumbent’s support. We might witness a further decline in voter turnout if uncivil campaigns and inflammatory rhetoric from PM Modi continue.
As political participation is an essential element in any healthy democracy, incivility is harmful to the proper functioning of democracy. The 2016 US presidential election illustrates how unchecked incivility can dominate the political narrative, overshadowing substantive policy discussions and undermining the democratic process.
While the BJP may believe that heightened rhetoric will energise their base, the strategy carries significant risks and ultimately affects the fabric of Indian democracy. Increased polarisation reduces the space for deliberative cross-party discourse.
This is harmful to Indian democracy, as winning elections should not be the only goal of a party or the Prime Minister. Instead, protecting democratic institutions and promoting democratic values should be a long-term priority.
Taberez Ahmed Neyazi is assistant professor of political communication and new media and Director of Digital Campaigns and Propaganda Lab, National University of Singapore.
