The rapid rise of social media, particularly in vernacular languages, has had a profound impact on how information is disseminated in India. This shift towards instant gratification and concise content has led to the emergence of viral content that can quickly shape and propagate political narratives. This has necessitated vigilance to manage disruptive misinformation. In India, the BJP has been a pioneer in leveraging social media to gain a significant advantage, but the Opposition is now making a concerted effort to catch up. This ‘inversion’ of roles, where independent content creators set the narrative and political parties amplify it, is making it more difficult to analyze political headwinds. The party that can bring a semblance of control over this social media tumult will reap significant benefits, but who will emerge victorious remains uncertain.
