ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN INDIAN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION: A STUDY OF CORPUS LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL NARRATIVE ON TWITTER DURING KARNATAKA ASSEMBLY ELECTION 2023

Abstract

This study examines the political communication strategies applied during the Karnataka Assembly elections on May 23, 2023, with a specific focus on the Twitter (now X) as a platform. The Karnataka Assembly elections held notable importance for the then ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), as it aimed to consolidate its political influence in southern India in preparation for the upcoming 2024 general elections. The Indian National Congress, as the opposition party, perceived this as a favourable circumstance, as the voters appeared to be divided as a result of the presence of numerous influential local leaders who were not in sync with the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This study utilises the Corpus linguistic methodology to examine the data obtained from the social media platform, Twitter, where political campaigning has become a significant strategy for achieving political mileage in India. This study conducts an analysis of the tweets shared by significant political actors throughout the campaign season for the Assembly elections, with a focus on examining the precise influence exerted by these tweets on the political discourse. The findings serve to reaffirm the resilience of the Indian democracy, as the electorate has demonstrated their capacity to differentiate and discern between matters of online debate and those that hold local significance. The study provides additional evidence to support the notion that the Twitter platform serves as a virtual space for political expression and the exchange of varied perspectives. However, it is important to note that these expressions and ideas may not necessarily translate into immediate influence on voting behaviour.