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How to Win an Indian Election
What role do political consultants play in election campaigns? How are political parties using technological tools such as data analytics, surveys and alternative media to construct effective, micro-targeted campaigns? How does the use of money impact election results? What aids in the en masse dissemination of divisive propaganda and fake news? What does it take to win an election in India today? What is the future of politics in the country?
Written by a former election campaign consultant for a major political party, How to Win an Indian Election takes readers into the forbidden world of election war-rooms and gives them a glimpse of how strategy is formulated, what works with voters on the ground and what doesn't. Based on research, interviews and the author's own experiences, this book is invaluable for its insight into the inner workings of politics, political parties and what really makes for a winning election campaign.
Shivam Shankar Singh headed data analytics and campaigns for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Manipur and Tripura Legislative Assembly elections under the guidance of the party's National General Secretary, Ram Madhav. He was a Senior Research Fellow at India Foundation, and briefly worked with Prashant Kishor's company, IPAC, during the Punjab Legislative Assembly campaign. He was a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Parliament (LAMP) Fellow and has graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a B.Sc. in Economics. His resignation from the BJP went viral on social media in June 2018 and was republished by various media platforms in multiple languages.
Written by a former election campaign consultant for a major political party, How to Win an Indian Election takes readers into the forbidden world of election war-rooms and gives them a glimpse of how strategy is formulated, what works with voters on the ground and what doesn't. Based on research, interviews and the author's own experiences, this book is invaluable for its insight into the inner workings of politics, political parties and what really makes for a winning election campaign.
Shivam Shankar Singh headed data analytics and campaigns for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Manipur and Tripura Legislative Assembly elections under the guidance of the party's National General Secretary, Ram Madhav. He was a Senior Research Fellow at India Foundation, and briefly worked with Prashant Kishor's company, IPAC, during the Punjab Legislative Assembly campaign. He was a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Parliament (LAMP) Fellow and has graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a B.Sc. in Economics. His resignation from the BJP went viral on social media in June 2018 and was republished by various media platforms in multiple languages.
248 pages, Paperback
Published February 3, 2019
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April 24, 2019
April 2019: I found my aunt staring at the tiny screen of her smartphone, eyes as wide as saucers. She turns towards me and shows me a video of a child. “Look at how the small child is rattling off the schemes started by Modi”, she enthused, “The Modi impact is so high, even a child knows about these!”. For the entire five and half minutes of the video, the kid rattled off the work done by Mr Modi: starting from A till Z. I stared, trying to understand what prompted this outburst of emotion from a woman who, two months ago, was virulently anti-BJP owing to the hasty passage of the constitutional amendment that provided for quota in government educational institutions and jobs for the economically weak section (EWS). Apparently, as she informs me, this video has gone viral in social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
I learnt three lessons:
1. People have short-term memories. At least at an individual level.
2. Children evoke a sense of warmth. Children reciting off facts(?) and figures evoke awe.
3. People do not use the resources to check the validity of facts.
Tenali Raman had mused centuries ago that a lie oft repeated, can turn into truth. Centuries later Joseph Goebbels also echoed the same sentiments and converted the theory into practice. History, like Cassandra from Greek mythology, is ignored while strategising.
Elections in the world’s largest democracy are the all-culture pervasive national festival: you get mandatory two-day holiday for the purpose of voting. Entire economies spring around this mega-event. Money practically flows. For politicians, elections are the primary jobs, development and reform work is ancillary. This festival lasts for a year, at the end of which there is much flowing of tears. Of happiness and grief.
The most common media for transmission of information related to elections is the television, with debates (more like shouting and screaming of expletives on the live broadcast which is rarely censored) dominating the public sphere. Unfortunately, as the writer points out, the television set is also the most unreliable source of news nowadays. Even worse, few people are aware of this. Time has arrived, to distrust even whatever you behold with your eyes. People who appear so passionate about what they are saying on television, are often quite moderate in their opinions when off the camera.
I find myself agreeing with the author when he mentions
The book chronicles the events around the massive electoral victory of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the subsequent Modi-wave, which led to victory after victory for the party in state legislative assemblies. The writer gives a good insight into how television and social media (esp. WhatsApp) propaganda works. Confirmation bias is bombarded and fake news is converted to the truth. The writer gives a good insight into the vote bank politics that is prevalent in India as well as elsewhere. He argues that forming a vote bank gives people voice, which was hitherto not possible. When the public discourse is hijacked by a select few, then the masses become voiceless.
Being an early adopter of social media and data analytics has given BJP an edge over their rivals. The writer also quotes a veteran BJP leader insisting that elections are not won on economics; they are won on emotions. Rightly so. Anyone following the political news logically would come to this conclusion sooner or later. Political profiling of people has always taken place. The only difference in the present decade is the usage of computing, advanced data harvesting and analysis tools. Microtargeting of political advertisements has become easier as observed from the scandals involving Cambridge Analytica. Apart from maligning the Opposition and highlighting the failings of “dynastic politics”, the system has also taken to silencing dissent and branding anyone who does not agree with their worldview as “anti-nationals” and “urban naxals”. Archaic, colonial-era sedition laws are being freely used to stifle dissenting opinion and discrediting even academics. But this has always been the case and is nothing new. Successive governments have taken the same path. Often people joining politics to transform it, end up being a cog in the wheel.
The writer has devoted a considerable number of pages to the utilisation of social media platforms to prime the population. Internet giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon have immense databases of information regarding anyone connected to the internet. This past data can be utilised to reinforce the biases and affect voting patterns. What makes these entities dangerous is the fact that they are practically in the regulatory grey zone as the lawmakers are yet to grasp how to make laws on them. The lawmakers know how to use the beasts, but have no idea on how to tame them. The European Parliament has announced the General Data Protection Regulations to protect the privacy of its citizens and residents. It suffers from many flaws, but at least it is an attempt in the direction. In July 2018, the Justice B N Srikrishna committee submitted its report on data protection and online privacy in India. It also presented the draft law on the issue. The report made some noise in media for a while but has since then been placed on the backburner owing to election season.
Apart from information control, the writer also points out to the massive spending by political parties. He mentions about how candidates resort to crony capitalist collusions to fund the campaign and keep people appeased. The system has been so designed that it would put smaller and not-so-rich political parties and independent candidates at a severe disadvantage. Hence, it becomes important for parties and candidates to indulge in corruption. How else can they recover the costs and gear up for the next spree?
The writer isn’t saying anything new or explosive (as the title might suggest), but it is still important to put those thinking into words. Ironically, his book suffers from the same failing that he points out: the only people who will read this work are the ones who observe critically and question the system. Sadly, they make up only a small percentage of the population. To be fair, any such work suffers from this drawback.
The writer mentions in his Medium blog about the reasons why he left BJP. He appears passionate and interested to bring in change. But the sad truth is, political discourse hasn’t really reached its nadir in his lifetime. It has always been like this if we look into the history of political narratives. All in all, this book is a one-time read, especially if are someone with the same nihilistic streak that the writer shows. You will only be reinforcing your own biases.
The book could have been better had the writer included more comparative analysis, apart from the American ones. He mentioned European issues, but mostly in passing. The recent right-wing upsurge has seen leaders like Balsonaro(Brazil), Sebastian Kurz (Austria) and Theresa May (UK). At times, the focus on data analytics became repetitive. A good first-time attempt, though.
Free and Fair Elections have been recognised as a part of the basic structure of the Constitution, time and again by the Supreme Court of India. How much of it is free and how much is fair, remains to be ascertained.
After watching the video clip of the child, Aunt spammed every WhatsApp group she is a part of, insisting everyone to watch it. She was, after all, passing on “useful information” which “everyone should know”. She believed with all her heart that since many people are watching this video, it must be something true.
“Otherwise they would point out the mistakes!”, she insists.
“Am I not doing that properly enough for you? I am telling you that it is clear that the child has been asked to memorise and recite whatever he is saying. Probably in lieu of chocolates”, I point out.
“Oh! You don’t understand. Why do you hate Modi? He is bringing in development! The Gandhi family have done nothing but to loot the country.”
Fellow readers, I rest my case.
I learnt three lessons:
1. People have short-term memories. At least at an individual level.
2. Children evoke a sense of warmth. Children reciting off facts(?) and figures evoke awe.
3. People do not use the resources to check the validity of facts.
Tenali Raman had mused centuries ago that a lie oft repeated, can turn into truth. Centuries later Joseph Goebbels also echoed the same sentiments and converted the theory into practice. History, like Cassandra from Greek mythology, is ignored while strategising.
Elections in the world’s largest democracy are the all-culture pervasive national festival: you get mandatory two-day holiday for the purpose of voting. Entire economies spring around this mega-event. Money practically flows. For politicians, elections are the primary jobs, development and reform work is ancillary. This festival lasts for a year, at the end of which there is much flowing of tears. Of happiness and grief.
The most common media for transmission of information related to elections is the television, with debates (more like shouting and screaming of expletives on the live broadcast which is rarely censored) dominating the public sphere. Unfortunately, as the writer points out, the television set is also the most unreliable source of news nowadays. Even worse, few people are aware of this. Time has arrived, to distrust even whatever you behold with your eyes. People who appear so passionate about what they are saying on television, are often quite moderate in their opinions when off the camera.
I find myself agreeing with the author when he mentions
“that the enthusiasm of children for a particular candidate or party is as good an indicator as there can be to predict the presence of a wave.”
The book chronicles the events around the massive electoral victory of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the subsequent Modi-wave, which led to victory after victory for the party in state legislative assemblies. The writer gives a good insight into how television and social media (esp. WhatsApp) propaganda works. Confirmation bias is bombarded and fake news is converted to the truth. The writer gives a good insight into the vote bank politics that is prevalent in India as well as elsewhere. He argues that forming a vote bank gives people voice, which was hitherto not possible. When the public discourse is hijacked by a select few, then the masses become voiceless.
Being an early adopter of social media and data analytics has given BJP an edge over their rivals. The writer also quotes a veteran BJP leader insisting that elections are not won on economics; they are won on emotions. Rightly so. Anyone following the political news logically would come to this conclusion sooner or later. Political profiling of people has always taken place. The only difference in the present decade is the usage of computing, advanced data harvesting and analysis tools. Microtargeting of political advertisements has become easier as observed from the scandals involving Cambridge Analytica. Apart from maligning the Opposition and highlighting the failings of “dynastic politics”, the system has also taken to silencing dissent and branding anyone who does not agree with their worldview as “anti-nationals” and “urban naxals”. Archaic, colonial-era sedition laws are being freely used to stifle dissenting opinion and discrediting even academics. But this has always been the case and is nothing new. Successive governments have taken the same path. Often people joining politics to transform it, end up being a cog in the wheel.
The writer has devoted a considerable number of pages to the utilisation of social media platforms to prime the population. Internet giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon have immense databases of information regarding anyone connected to the internet. This past data can be utilised to reinforce the biases and affect voting patterns. What makes these entities dangerous is the fact that they are practically in the regulatory grey zone as the lawmakers are yet to grasp how to make laws on them. The lawmakers know how to use the beasts, but have no idea on how to tame them. The European Parliament has announced the General Data Protection Regulations to protect the privacy of its citizens and residents. It suffers from many flaws, but at least it is an attempt in the direction. In July 2018, the Justice B N Srikrishna committee submitted its report on data protection and online privacy in India. It also presented the draft law on the issue. The report made some noise in media for a while but has since then been placed on the backburner owing to election season.
Apart from information control, the writer also points out to the massive spending by political parties. He mentions about how candidates resort to crony capitalist collusions to fund the campaign and keep people appeased. The system has been so designed that it would put smaller and not-so-rich political parties and independent candidates at a severe disadvantage. Hence, it becomes important for parties and candidates to indulge in corruption. How else can they recover the costs and gear up for the next spree?
The writer isn’t saying anything new or explosive (as the title might suggest), but it is still important to put those thinking into words. Ironically, his book suffers from the same failing that he points out: the only people who will read this work are the ones who observe critically and question the system. Sadly, they make up only a small percentage of the population. To be fair, any such work suffers from this drawback.
The writer mentions in his Medium blog about the reasons why he left BJP. He appears passionate and interested to bring in change. But the sad truth is, political discourse hasn’t really reached its nadir in his lifetime. It has always been like this if we look into the history of political narratives. All in all, this book is a one-time read, especially if are someone with the same nihilistic streak that the writer shows. You will only be reinforcing your own biases.
The book could have been better had the writer included more comparative analysis, apart from the American ones. He mentioned European issues, but mostly in passing. The recent right-wing upsurge has seen leaders like Balsonaro(Brazil), Sebastian Kurz (Austria) and Theresa May (UK). At times, the focus on data analytics became repetitive. A good first-time attempt, though.
Free and Fair Elections have been recognised as a part of the basic structure of the Constitution, time and again by the Supreme Court of India. How much of it is free and how much is fair, remains to be ascertained.
After watching the video clip of the child, Aunt spammed every WhatsApp group she is a part of, insisting everyone to watch it. She was, after all, passing on “useful information” which “everyone should know”. She believed with all her heart that since many people are watching this video, it must be something true.
“Otherwise they would point out the mistakes!”, she insists.
“Am I not doing that properly enough for you? I am telling you that it is clear that the child has been asked to memorise and recite whatever he is saying. Probably in lieu of chocolates”, I point out.
“Oh! You don’t understand. Why do you hate Modi? He is bringing in development! The Gandhi family have done nothing but to loot the country.”
Fellow readers, I rest my case.
August 12, 2020
It was during one of our book club meetings when I was asked by a fellow reader, "what's the point in reading such books?", pointing to my copy of 'How To Win An Indian Election'. He stated that he was not interested in politics and preferred reading books on psychology and behavioral science. Well, good. "But wouldn't you want to know how the political parties are using your biases to manipulate you?", was what I answered, adding that when more and more voters are aware of the strategies, they are less likely to fall prey to it ( I am idealistic, you see). This could actually add to an improvement to the political discourse of our country. And this is why I would recommend reading this book.
April 17, 2020
I am rating it 5 stars because of the criticality of the issue discussed here. I agree with the opening premise of the book that there are indeed very few books written into actual working mechanism of elections. Yes we do know about the underworld of politics but yet this has consolidated many of evils at one place.
The key to any good democracy is a well informed electorate and ironically this book highlights every obstacle in front of it. Specially after 2014 most of the elections have been a brand making exercise and one must thank or curse the political consultancy for it. Most of the campaign is based on creating a buzz through constant bombarding of information and as a result issues and matters of public importance takes a back seat. The author gives some valuable insights through his own experiences while working for both the national parties at different state elections.
The most vicious and toxic aspect of this is the emergence of WhatsApp university. A place which was indeed used for reaching many voters has now turned into a den of ignorance and fake news. While the parties peddling it know the consequences but still the society in large believes as if everything is true. It has also allowed customized targeting of audience. For eg if you like caste pride information and then you will get that. If one likes to think that their religion is in danger then voila all the rubbish is provided there. Unfortunately the national party in power has been exploiting this option ruthlessly.
Another serious issue is the ownership of media. Most of the mainstream media is indeed controlled either by politicians from national party or the business giants who will be close to the establishment. This has resulted in a peculiar scenario where the late night show anchors seem to question the previous government for every act. What we citizens forget is that the mainstream media has financial as well as existential interests for not asking the current establishment tough questions.
Further the author deals with the amount of money spent on the elections and how this single aspect corrupts everything which follows. The author ends the book on rather gloomy note that idealistic politics might not have any chance to survive. Maybe he is right because the current scenario does suggest the same.
The key to any good democracy is a well informed electorate and ironically this book highlights every obstacle in front of it. Specially after 2014 most of the elections have been a brand making exercise and one must thank or curse the political consultancy for it. Most of the campaign is based on creating a buzz through constant bombarding of information and as a result issues and matters of public importance takes a back seat. The author gives some valuable insights through his own experiences while working for both the national parties at different state elections.
The most vicious and toxic aspect of this is the emergence of WhatsApp university. A place which was indeed used for reaching many voters has now turned into a den of ignorance and fake news. While the parties peddling it know the consequences but still the society in large believes as if everything is true. It has also allowed customized targeting of audience. For eg if you like caste pride information and then you will get that. If one likes to think that their religion is in danger then voila all the rubbish is provided there. Unfortunately the national party in power has been exploiting this option ruthlessly.
Another serious issue is the ownership of media. Most of the mainstream media is indeed controlled either by politicians from national party or the business giants who will be close to the establishment. This has resulted in a peculiar scenario where the late night show anchors seem to question the previous government for every act. What we citizens forget is that the mainstream media has financial as well as existential interests for not asking the current establishment tough questions.
Further the author deals with the amount of money spent on the elections and how this single aspect corrupts everything which follows. The author ends the book on rather gloomy note that idealistic politics might not have any chance to survive. Maybe he is right because the current scenario does suggest the same.
January 19, 2021
The degree of partisanship and propaganda prevalent in Indian politics today (2020-21) impelled me to dig deeper into the electoral politics in India. Coincidently this was when I was pursuing my masters degree in the US. Finding a good book that touches upon the realities of electoral politics and attempts to explain why we find ourselves in this current predicament while being as neutral as possible seemed like a herculean task. I was skeptical about books authored by people with strong political affiliations and did not have the patience to go through textbooks on this subject. Fortunately I came across this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who finds himself/herself in a position similar to mine. While certain comments may be things that you already know, the anecdotes and stories truly bring the point home. Atleast thats what it did for me.
In my opinion this book does a great job in terms of shedding light on the various aspects of electoral politics without taking any sides. Most examples used to illustrate the points are based on recent events which helped me understand things better. While some may argue that the examples used primarily consider the current regime, I feel this is understandable given the background/experiences of the author about which he seems to be upfront. Again, I would like to congratulate the author for maintaining self-restraint and not picking sides when discussing such a polarising topic.
Some of the things that I personally found interesting are listed below:
1. What a political consultant does for a political party. It appears they are just more educated, smarter, more techsavy and efficient versions of the regular party workers. The strategy to win a election remains the same as it has for ages. These consultants just make the process more streamlined and effective.
2.Various facets of a political campaign. A political campaign is an exercise that focuses on swaying the emotions of the electorate. This includes building a brand for the party and the candidate and creating a buzz which mostly translates into demonstrating that your party is the most active (this activity needs to be simply around the election time). In case your opposition is late to the party, you build a brand for them. An interesting aspect was how medium like WhatsApp give political parties an ability to convey different, tailor-made messages to different sections of the society, which may sometimes even be conflicting.
3. The role of money, muscle, caste and religion in an election. This was the most heartbreaking section for me personally, especially the story of Irom Sharmilla's political stint and the story of Lok Satta Party. While I know that money is an important part of elections but the extent and the fact that it is such a necessary attribute in winning an election irrespective of everything else was shocking. This killed the optimist in me. But I'd rather be sad than be blind.
4.Good governance may not always be in the interest of the politician.
At the end electoral politics is neither about the policies nor about people. It's all about winning an election. Thats the only rule of the game. Bribery, distributing cash/liquor/gifts, spreading fake news and propaganda, pitting one community against the other, everything is fair.
In my opinion this book does a great job in terms of shedding light on the various aspects of electoral politics without taking any sides. Most examples used to illustrate the points are based on recent events which helped me understand things better. While some may argue that the examples used primarily consider the current regime, I feel this is understandable given the background/experiences of the author about which he seems to be upfront. Again, I would like to congratulate the author for maintaining self-restraint and not picking sides when discussing such a polarising topic.
Some of the things that I personally found interesting are listed below:
1. What a political consultant does for a political party. It appears they are just more educated, smarter, more techsavy and efficient versions of the regular party workers. The strategy to win a election remains the same as it has for ages. These consultants just make the process more streamlined and effective.
2.Various facets of a political campaign. A political campaign is an exercise that focuses on swaying the emotions of the electorate. This includes building a brand for the party and the candidate and creating a buzz which mostly translates into demonstrating that your party is the most active (this activity needs to be simply around the election time). In case your opposition is late to the party, you build a brand for them. An interesting aspect was how medium like WhatsApp give political parties an ability to convey different, tailor-made messages to different sections of the society, which may sometimes even be conflicting.
3. The role of money, muscle, caste and religion in an election. This was the most heartbreaking section for me personally, especially the story of Irom Sharmilla's political stint and the story of Lok Satta Party. While I know that money is an important part of elections but the extent and the fact that it is such a necessary attribute in winning an election irrespective of everything else was shocking. This killed the optimist in me. But I'd rather be sad than be blind.
4.Good governance may not always be in the interest of the politician.
At the end electoral politics is neither about the policies nor about people. It's all about winning an election. Thats the only rule of the game. Bribery, distributing cash/liquor/gifts, spreading fake news and propaganda, pitting one community against the other, everything is fair.
March 25, 2021
இந்தியா போன்ற வளர்ந்து வரும் நாடுகளில் ஜனநாயகம் என்பது பல்வேறு தடைகளை தாண்டி தான் நிலைத்திருக்க வேண்டியுள்ளது. அதிலும் மிகபெரிய மக்கள்தொகையை கொண்ட ஒரு நாட்டில் தேர்தல் நடத்துவது என்றால் எளிதான காரியமா?
இந்திய தேர்தல் அரசியலில் வெல்வது எப்படி? அது எந்த வகையில் இயங்குகிறது? நவீன தேர்தல்களில் இணையத்தின் செல்வாக்கு என்ன? முதலாளிகள் - அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கிடையே உள்ள சார்பு நிலை எத்தகையது? என்பது போன்ற முடுச்சுகளை அவிழ்க்கிறது இந்த புத்தகம்.
நூல் ஆசிரியர் IPAC நிறுவனத்தோடு இணைந்து பணியாற்றியுள்ளார், பாஜக வுக்கு சில சட்டமன்ற தேர்தலில் ஆலோசகராக(consultant) பணியாற்றியுள்ளார் மேலும் LAMP fellowship போன்ற செயல்பாடுகளிலும் பணியாற்றியுள்ளார். பாஜகவின் பிரிவினைவாத அரசியலின் காரணமாக அதிலிருந்து விலகி தற்போது தனியாக இயங்கி வருகிறார். கள அரசியல்-இணைய அரசியல் என சகலமும் பார்த்த இவர் அதை அனைத்தும் இணைத்து ஒரு புத்தகமாகவே வெளியிட்டுள்ளார்.
உலகில் உள்ள ஜனநாயகங்கள் சந்தித்து வரும் மாபெரும் சிக்கல் ஒரு ஆலோசனை நிறுவனத்தை வைத்து தேர்தலை முன்னெடுப்பது தான். IPAC,DEMOS போன்று அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கு ஆலோசனை தரும் நிறுவனங்கள் உலகெங்கும் இருந்து வருகின்றன, பழமையான ஜனநாயக நாடான அமெரிக்காவும் அதற்கு விதிவிலக்கு அல்ல. அந்த நிறுவனங்கள் அமைத்து தரும் யுக்திகளை அரசியல் காட்சிகள் செயல்படுத்துகின்றன. மேலும் இவர் பணியாற்றியதால் அங்கு வகுத்த திட்டங்கள் மற்றும் யுக்திகள் பற்றி எல்லாம் விரிவாக பேசுகிறார். குறிப்பாக 2014 நாடாளுமன்ற தேர்தலில் மோடியின் பிம்பம் எந்த வகையில் கட்டமைக்கப்பட்டது, பிற மாநிலங்களில் நடந்த தேர்தலில்களிலும் அது எவ்வாறு இயங்கியது போன்ற செய்திகள் புத்தகத்தில் அடக்கம்.
தேர்தல் என்றாலே பணம் தான், அதுவும் ELECTORAL BONDS என்ற ஒன்றை நடைமுறைப்படுத்திய பிறகு பாஜக போன்ற காட்சிகளுக்கு பணமழை தான். யாருக்கு பணம் தருகிறார்கள்? எவ்வளவு தருகிறார்கள்? கருப்பா? வெள்ளையா? போன்ற எந்த கேள்விகளுக்கும் பதில் தர தேவையில்லை. பெரு நிறுவனங்கள் எவ்வளவு நிதி வேண்டுமானாலும் தந்து கொள்ளலாம் இவர்கள் ஆட்சிக்கு வந்த பிறகு அந்த நிறுவனங்களுக்கு சலுகைகள் வழங்கப்படும். இது அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கும் பொருந்தும் என்றாலும் இது வரை பாஜக வுக்கு தேர்தலில் வெல்லவும், MLAகளை வாங்கவும் நிதி என்கிறது வருகிறது என்பதை இந்த நூல் அம்பலப்படுத்துகிறது. ஒரு சட்டமன்ற தேர்தலில் அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளும் சேர்த்து 10,000 கோடிக்கு மேல் செலவு செய்கிறார்கள் என்கிறது ஒரு ஆய்வு(இது குறைவாக கூட இருக்கலாம் )
மேலும் இங்குள்ள இந்த அதிகார அமைப்பு, அரசு நிறுவனங்கள், அரசாங்க பணியாளர்கள்(IAS,IPS) அனைவரும் அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கு சேவகம் செய்பவர்கள் தான், அப்படி நேர்மையாக இருந்தாலும் ஏதோ ஒரு வகையில் அவர்கள் நெருக்கடிக்குள்ளாக்க படுகிறார்கள் . இந்த அமைப்பே இப்படிப்பட்டது தான்.
இதை போல் இவர் பார்த்த, அனுபவித்த நிகழ்வுகளை எழுதியுள்ளார். அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளிடமும் நல்லது கெட்டது என இரண்டுமே உள்ளது, புதிதாக கட்சி தொடங்கியவர்கள் ஒரு தேர்தலுக்குள் காணாமல் போய் விடுகிறார்கள், ஊழல் ஒழிப்பு என்று வந்தால் இந்த அமைப்பு அவர்களையும் ஊழல்வாதிகளாக மாற்றிவிடுகிறது. இதற்கு என்னதான் தீர்வு? மக்கள் சேவையில் உண்மையான அக்கறை உள்ள அரசியல்வாதி, பதவி அதிகாரம் என்று எதையும் கண்டுகொள்ளாமல் மக்கள் நலனில் அக்கறை கொண்ட-கொண்டுள்ள நம்பிக்கைக்குரிய, நீண்ட நாள் கள அரசியலில் உள்ள கட்சிகளோடு இணைந்து பயணிப்பது தான் ஒரே தீர்வு என்கிறார். மேலும் அரசியலுக்கு வர வேண்டுமானால் பொருளாதார தேவைகளை பூர்த்தி செய்ய வேறொரு மாற்று தொழில் வேண்டும் என்றும் சொல்கிறார்.
இப்படியாக புத்தகம் முடிகிறது. 21 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டில் இந்திய தேர்தல் அரசியலின் அடிப்படையை புரிந்துகொள்ள, விழிப்புணர்வு பெற நண்பர்கள் மற்றும் தோழர்கள் அவசியம் வாசிக்கவும். அனைத்து கட்சியை சார்ந்த நண்பர்களுக்கும் நிச்சயம் உதவும். தேர்தல் காலம் என்பதால் சமகால நிகழ்வுகளோடு இணைத்து புரிந்து கொள்ள ஏதுவாக இருக்கும்.
BOOK: How to Win an Indian Election
AUTHOR: Shivam Shankar Singh
Shivam Shankar Singh: Why I am resigning from BJP (nationalheraldindia.com)
இந்திய தேர்தல் அரசியலில் வெல்வது எப்படி? அது எந்த வகையில் இயங்குகிறது? நவீன தேர்தல்களில் இணையத்தின் செல்வாக்கு என்ன? முதலாளிகள் - அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கிடையே உள்ள சார்பு நிலை எத்தகையது? என்பது போன்ற முடுச்சுகளை அவிழ்க்கிறது இந்த புத்தகம்.
நூல் ஆசிரியர் IPAC நிறுவனத்தோடு இணைந்து பணியாற்றியுள்ளார், பாஜக வுக்கு சில சட்டமன்ற தேர்தலில் ஆலோசகராக(consultant) பணியாற்றியுள்ளார் மேலும் LAMP fellowship போன்ற செயல்பாடுகளிலும் பணியாற்றியுள்ளார். பாஜகவின் பிரிவினைவாத அரசியலின் காரணமாக அதிலிருந்து விலகி தற்போது தனியாக இயங்கி வருகிறார். கள அரசியல்-இணைய அரசியல் என சகலமும் பார்த்த இவர் அதை அனைத்தும் இணைத்து ஒரு புத்தகமாகவே வெளியிட்டுள்ளார்.
உலகில் உள்ள ஜனநாயகங்கள் சந்தித்து வரும் மாபெரும் சிக்கல் ஒரு ஆலோசனை நிறுவனத்தை வைத்து தேர்தலை முன்னெடுப்பது தான். IPAC,DEMOS போன்று அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கு ஆலோசனை தரும் நிறுவனங்கள் உலகெங்கும் இருந்து வருகின்றன, பழமையான ஜனநாயக நாடான அமெரிக்காவும் அதற்கு விதிவிலக்கு அல்ல. அந்த நிறுவனங்கள் அமைத்து தரும் யுக்திகளை அரசியல் காட்சிகள் செயல்படுத்துகின்றன. மேலும் இவர் பணியாற்றியதால் அங்கு வகுத்த திட்டங்கள் மற்றும் யுக்திகள் பற்றி எல்லாம் விரிவாக பேசுகிறார். குறிப்பாக 2014 நாடாளுமன்ற தேர்தலில் மோடியின் பிம்பம் எந்த வகையில் கட்டமைக்கப்பட்டது, பிற மாநிலங்களில் நடந்த தேர்தலில்களிலும் அது எவ்வாறு இயங்கியது போன்ற செய்திகள் புத்தகத்தில் அடக்கம்.
தேர்தல் என்றாலே பணம் தான், அதுவும் ELECTORAL BONDS என்ற ஒன்றை நடைமுறைப்படுத்திய பிறகு பாஜக போன்ற காட்சிகளுக்கு பணமழை தான். யாருக்கு பணம் தருகிறார்கள்? எவ்வளவு தருகிறார்கள்? கருப்பா? வெள்ளையா? போன்ற எந்த கேள்விகளுக்கும் பதில் தர தேவையில்லை. பெரு நிறுவனங்கள் எவ்வளவு நிதி வேண்டுமானாலும் தந்து கொள்ளலாம் இவர்கள் ஆட்சிக்கு வந்த பிறகு அந்த நிறுவனங்களுக்கு சலுகைகள் வழங்கப்படும். இது அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கும் பொருந்தும் என்றாலும் இது வரை பாஜக வுக்கு தேர்தலில் வெல்லவும், MLAகளை வாங்கவும் நிதி என்கிறது வருகிறது என்பதை இந்த நூல் அம்பலப்படுத்துகிறது. ஒரு சட்டமன்ற தேர்தலில் அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளும் சேர்த்து 10,000 கோடிக்கு மேல் செலவு செய்கிறார்கள் என்கிறது ஒரு ஆய்வு(இது குறைவாக கூட இருக்கலாம் )
மேலும் இங்குள்ள இந்த அதிகார அமைப்பு, அரசு நிறுவனங்கள், அரசாங்க பணியாளர்கள்(IAS,IPS) அனைவரும் அரசியல் கட்சிகளுக்கு சேவகம் செய்பவர்கள் தான், அப்படி நேர்மையாக இருந்தாலும் ஏதோ ஒரு வகையில் அவர்கள் நெருக்கடிக்குள்ளாக்க படுகிறார்கள் . இந்த அமைப்பே இப்படிப்பட்டது தான்.
இதை போல் இவர் பார்த்த, அனுபவித்த நிகழ்வுகளை எழுதியுள்ளார். அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளிடமும் நல்லது கெட்டது என இரண்டுமே உள்ளது, புதிதாக கட்சி தொடங்கியவர்கள் ஒரு தேர்தலுக்குள் காணாமல் போய் விடுகிறார்கள், ஊழல் ஒழிப்பு என்று வந்தால் இந்த அமைப்பு அவர்களையும் ஊழல்வாதிகளாக மாற்றிவிடுகிறது. இதற்கு என்னதான் தீர்வு? மக்கள் சேவையில் உண்மையான அக்கறை உள்ள அரசியல்வாதி, பதவி அதிகாரம் என்று எதையும் கண்டுகொள்ளாமல் மக்கள் நலனில் அக்கறை கொண்ட-கொண்டுள்ள நம்பிக்கைக்குரிய, நீண்ட நாள் கள அரசியலில் உள்ள கட்சிகளோடு இணைந்து பயணிப்பது தான் ஒரே தீர்வு என்கிறார். மேலும் அரசியலுக்கு வர வேண்டுமானால் பொருளாதார தேவைகளை பூர்த்தி செய்ய வேறொரு மாற்று தொழில் வேண்டும் என்றும் சொல்கிறார்.
இப்படியாக புத்தகம் முடிகிறது. 21 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டில் இந்திய தேர்தல் அரசியலின் அடிப்படையை புரிந்துகொள்ள, விழிப்புணர்வு பெற நண்பர்கள் மற்றும் தோழர்கள் அவசியம் வாசிக்கவும். அனைத்து கட்சியை சார்ந்த நண்பர்களுக்கும் நிச்சயம் உதவும். தேர்தல் காலம் என்பதால் சமகால நிகழ்வுகளோடு இணைத்து புரிந்து கொள்ள ஏதுவாக இருக்கும்.
BOOK: How to Win an Indian Election
AUTHOR: Shivam Shankar Singh
Shivam Shankar Singh: Why I am resigning from BJP (nationalheraldindia.com)
January 31, 2020
Picked up this book as I was looking for an easy read and the Penguin logo made me pick this one up despite its title. While I have read a few books on recent elections, this was the first one by an insider - an election consultant.
The book details the working of the political process in India - how elections are fought on the ground and on SM, how tickets are obtained, the functioning of legislators, why casteism, communalism and criminals prevail, the role of media and also on alternate politics. Each of the topics has been well-explained with the author also citing views of eminent commentators.
On the negative side, the chronology of the events was unclear due to messy editing. Also, while it was an easy read, wish it would have been a little more indepth. Recommended reading nonetheless.
The book details the working of the political process in India - how elections are fought on the ground and on SM, how tickets are obtained, the functioning of legislators, why casteism, communalism and criminals prevail, the role of media and also on alternate politics. Each of the topics has been well-explained with the author also citing views of eminent commentators.
On the negative side, the chronology of the events was unclear due to messy editing. Also, while it was an easy read, wish it would have been a little more indepth. Recommended reading nonetheless.
June 2, 2019
A detailed, well written first hand account of what goes inside of a political campaign, importance of social media analytics in influencing voter's sentiment, important of caste, religion, region, language and other demographic dynamics in swinging the votes to one side and what all it takes to be a successful political entity in a complex country like India.
A MUST READ.
A MUST READ.
May 25, 2020
This book is perfect for someone who needs to brush up his/her knowledge on the various political events that took place in the past decade.
This book is a political experience of a man who presents facts and figures, not biased opinion (in most of the parts) about how parties work, why various people who join politics with the belief of changing it but ultimately falls into the vicious cycle and why there is no way out of "the system" in the near future.
The politics which we see as an average voter today is just the tip of the iceberg and there is a lot of ill deeds happening beneath the sea, for which somewhere or the other even the public is responsible for.
Very good reasoning about why there is no end to corruption, why the nexus and collective working of politicians and businessmen is bound to exist even in the future, why there is no politics without putting caste in the picture, and how the elections and politics have changed after 2014 elections, etc. are given in a very rational manner.
For someone who has little interest or no interest in politics, this book is sure to develop a curiosity to know more about everyday politics in India.
This book is a political experience of a man who presents facts and figures, not biased opinion (in most of the parts) about how parties work, why various people who join politics with the belief of changing it but ultimately falls into the vicious cycle and why there is no way out of "the system" in the near future.
The politics which we see as an average voter today is just the tip of the iceberg and there is a lot of ill deeds happening beneath the sea, for which somewhere or the other even the public is responsible for.
Very good reasoning about why there is no end to corruption, why the nexus and collective working of politicians and businessmen is bound to exist even in the future, why there is no politics without putting caste in the picture, and how the elections and politics have changed after 2014 elections, etc. are given in a very rational manner.
For someone who has little interest or no interest in politics, this book is sure to develop a curiosity to know more about everyday politics in India.
July 1, 2023
2.5 💫
The author does present lot of inner working mechanisms of political parties and their leaders in the book but these are fairly well known generic facts. Nothing that might blow your mind. Also the book only covers BJP's tactics 90% of the time, makes me feel that the title is quite misleading since the book seems to be biased and also this book was published in Feb 2019 ,just before 2019 Central Elections only making me further suspicious about the neutrality of the book which was I expected while I picked up this book.
There is positive spin towards AAP and sort of generic accusations on Congress which suprised me since C has ruled majority of the time since India gained Independance.
The author has worked as consultant to both BJP and Congress but the time this book was published he was a consultant to Congress. Maybe that's the reason for biased view.
I would not recomment this as anyone's 1st book to know about Indian Politics since it might manipulate your views.
The author does present lot of inner working mechanisms of political parties and their leaders in the book but these are fairly well known generic facts. Nothing that might blow your mind. Also the book only covers BJP's tactics 90% of the time, makes me feel that the title is quite misleading since the book seems to be biased and also this book was published in Feb 2019 ,just before 2019 Central Elections only making me further suspicious about the neutrality of the book which was I expected while I picked up this book.
There is positive spin towards AAP and sort of generic accusations on Congress which suprised me since C has ruled majority of the time since India gained Independance.
The author has worked as consultant to both BJP and Congress but the time this book was published he was a consultant to Congress. Maybe that's the reason for biased view.
I would not recomment this as anyone's 1st book to know about Indian Politics since it might manipulate your views.
May 8, 2019
A very practical book with insights on what happens within the political parties. Good read for anyone who even has a peripheral interest in politics to understand the propaganda based positioning that all parties use widely to build an emotional appeal a particular narrative with audience (like us) and influences our thinking as voters. An easy to read non-fiction work, backed my facts as well as person experiences. This book is sure to build your curiosity on where are we headed as a democracy and what lies ahead with the 2019 General Election season on.
December 28, 2024
POLITICS IS AN ART OF INFLUENCING PUBLIC OPINION
I am happy that I am ending this year with this fascinating book and realized how important it is for us to understand our nation politics and its influence in our life.
This book is an incredible account and experience of a former election campaign consultant with BJP, a major political party in India. He explained about how politicians and their parties work and the ground reality of our entire political system.
Role of Political consultant
Political consultants only job is to create and build brands. Thats what happened for Modi in 2014. It was planned perfectly, and they played vital role to turn neutral voters to BJP side. An interesting thing is how the campaign messaging was so crisp, simple, memorable and effective. "Acche Din Waale Hain (Good days are about to come), Abki Baar Modi Sarkar (This time Modi's government) were good examples and how it influenced people during elections.
Role of Technology and Data
Cambridge Analytica, a London based Data consultancy firm played vital role for Trump's Success in US election. They prepared a psychographic profile of each US citizen from Facebook and persuaded them to vote for a specific party. Same strategy was followed in India by analysing constituencies in terms of name, caste, religion, socio economic status. WhatsApp group creation and forward messages, Winning Slogan, Microtargeting, missed call Campaign, Namo App influenced and determined voting behavior and played vital role for BJP success.
Fake news and Propaganda
Hitler's ultimate success is not just his fiery speech but also his Close companion Joseph Goebbels.
Joseph was Nazi's Minister of Propaganda, and he influenced German Public to the rise of Nazi. Because Elections are not just won on performance, but emotions. Propaganda is an important tool to tweak people’s emotion to love or hate a political party. Now BJP added the terminologies like Anti-national, tukde-tukde gang, urban Naxals in their propaganda, thereby embedded in public consciousness.
Winning an Election
Obviously, every politician’s primary goal is to win elections. Sycophancy, Party tickets, nexus with Multi billionaire businessmen to donate money for campaign, Hierarchy, Identity politics, Divisive politics, Polarization are important factors for a party to succeed and rule the nation.
This book spotlights the scariest reality of our crooked Indian political system, yet it shines some hope over how nation can be saved.
This book is not just about how dirty politics is, but also how to be different from it by raising the voice over absolute authoritarianism. I loved this book and would strongly recommend it to everyone who loves politics and especially for those who want our nation is in safe hands in future.
I am happy that I am ending this year with this fascinating book and realized how important it is for us to understand our nation politics and its influence in our life.
This book is an incredible account and experience of a former election campaign consultant with BJP, a major political party in India. He explained about how politicians and their parties work and the ground reality of our entire political system.
Role of Political consultant
Political consultants only job is to create and build brands. Thats what happened for Modi in 2014. It was planned perfectly, and they played vital role to turn neutral voters to BJP side. An interesting thing is how the campaign messaging was so crisp, simple, memorable and effective. "Acche Din Waale Hain (Good days are about to come), Abki Baar Modi Sarkar (This time Modi's government) were good examples and how it influenced people during elections.
Role of Technology and Data
Cambridge Analytica, a London based Data consultancy firm played vital role for Trump's Success in US election. They prepared a psychographic profile of each US citizen from Facebook and persuaded them to vote for a specific party. Same strategy was followed in India by analysing constituencies in terms of name, caste, religion, socio economic status. WhatsApp group creation and forward messages, Winning Slogan, Microtargeting, missed call Campaign, Namo App influenced and determined voting behavior and played vital role for BJP success.
Fake news and Propaganda
Hitler's ultimate success is not just his fiery speech but also his Close companion Joseph Goebbels.
Joseph was Nazi's Minister of Propaganda, and he influenced German Public to the rise of Nazi. Because Elections are not just won on performance, but emotions. Propaganda is an important tool to tweak people’s emotion to love or hate a political party. Now BJP added the terminologies like Anti-national, tukde-tukde gang, urban Naxals in their propaganda, thereby embedded in public consciousness.
Winning an Election
Obviously, every politician’s primary goal is to win elections. Sycophancy, Party tickets, nexus with Multi billionaire businessmen to donate money for campaign, Hierarchy, Identity politics, Divisive politics, Polarization are important factors for a party to succeed and rule the nation.
This book spotlights the scariest reality of our crooked Indian political system, yet it shines some hope over how nation can be saved.
This book is not just about how dirty politics is, but also how to be different from it by raising the voice over absolute authoritarianism. I loved this book and would strongly recommend it to everyone who loves politics and especially for those who want our nation is in safe hands in future.
April 23, 2019
I bought the kindle version of this book for three reasons:
1. Since elections are around, it would be a good time to get to know some ground realities pertaining to the same
2. A friend suggested to read it
3. The reviews in Amazon were persuasive enough to hit the 'buy' button
So coming to topic, the book changed my perception on small political parties and independent candidates, and strengthened my notion of doubting anything and everything that's being showcased by mainstream media these days. Since the writer was a political consultant himself, it establishes a lot of credibility to the thoughts put forth in the book. Indian politics as such is a messy and complicated affair. And regardless of facts, people seem to have an opinion on anything related to politics. Where do these opinions come from? What makes people form opinions and biases towards political issues? You ask any random person on the street to comment on the ongoing elections and you are bound to hear some form of criticism on Modi or Rahul Gandhi, failed initiatives of the present or previous government, petrol and commodities prices and most of all "kahaan hai acche din?". But how many people speak of independent candidates or small political parties that have carried out/ tried to do something tangible and failed to gain attention due to lack of media coverage? It's just the tip of the iceberg. Countless similar though provoking questions came to my mind while reading.
I have personally felt it since long and the same has been explicitly mentioned in the book - people vote for political parties for broadly the following reasons:
1. Personal biases surrounding the party/a particular leader with vested interests. In most cases, money.
2. Biases/opinions formed in due course of time owing to mainstream media.
3. Voting for a large political party which seems most likely to win in order to not let their vote get wasted
4. Parties/candidates representing or relating to a particular caste/religion/region
I have also felt that most news circulated through social media is either fake or manipulated to influence the mindset of people. Not to my surprise, the same has been mentioned in the book. Especially in WhatsApp, fake news gets viral in no time and even if people get to realize if the news is fake or not, the number of people who change their opinions based on the authenticity of the news are few. Social media in itself is a budding ground for free flowing propaganda and sadly people easily fall for them in large numbers.
Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will
It's an endless debate and bits of it are well presented with factual evidences.
The book is an easy read with colloquial language and can be completed in a couple of days or maybe even a day (if you're a regular reader with about 300 wpm reading speed).
1. Since elections are around, it would be a good time to get to know some ground realities pertaining to the same
2. A friend suggested to read it
3. The reviews in Amazon were persuasive enough to hit the 'buy' button
So coming to topic, the book changed my perception on small political parties and independent candidates, and strengthened my notion of doubting anything and everything that's being showcased by mainstream media these days. Since the writer was a political consultant himself, it establishes a lot of credibility to the thoughts put forth in the book. Indian politics as such is a messy and complicated affair. And regardless of facts, people seem to have an opinion on anything related to politics. Where do these opinions come from? What makes people form opinions and biases towards political issues? You ask any random person on the street to comment on the ongoing elections and you are bound to hear some form of criticism on Modi or Rahul Gandhi, failed initiatives of the present or previous government, petrol and commodities prices and most of all "kahaan hai acche din?". But how many people speak of independent candidates or small political parties that have carried out/ tried to do something tangible and failed to gain attention due to lack of media coverage? It's just the tip of the iceberg. Countless similar though provoking questions came to my mind while reading.
I have personally felt it since long and the same has been explicitly mentioned in the book - people vote for political parties for broadly the following reasons:
1. Personal biases surrounding the party/a particular leader with vested interests. In most cases, money.
2. Biases/opinions formed in due course of time owing to mainstream media.
3. Voting for a large political party which seems most likely to win in order to not let their vote get wasted
4. Parties/candidates representing or relating to a particular caste/religion/region
I have also felt that most news circulated through social media is either fake or manipulated to influence the mindset of people. Not to my surprise, the same has been mentioned in the book. Especially in WhatsApp, fake news gets viral in no time and even if people get to realize if the news is fake or not, the number of people who change their opinions based on the authenticity of the news are few. Social media in itself is a budding ground for free flowing propaganda and sadly people easily fall for them in large numbers.
Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will
It's an endless debate and bits of it are well presented with factual evidences.
The book is an easy read with colloquial language and can be completed in a couple of days or maybe even a day (if you're a regular reader with about 300 wpm reading speed).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2019
Before reading this book, I used to hate both the BJP and the Congress, the BJP more because I started following politics recently. Now I just pity our country and the system called Democracy developed by some ambitious and optimistic human beings. Also the book should have rather be named "How it is impossible for you to Win an Indian Election'.
Coming back to the book, it is written by someone who has worked with the IAPC under Prashant Kishor and helped Congress win the Punjab elections, and later worked under Ram Madhav and other BJP leaders to help BJP contest the Manipur and Tripura elections. This guy has a lot to offer us from his experience, and gives us some understanding about how the big parties like Congress and BJP function during the elections. Especially in today's date, when a large amout of voters data is available to these parties, helping them to selectively target the audience.
If you already have some idea of the fake news and propoganda spread by the political parties through social media and other mediums, this book will help you to reinforce your beliefs by providing you some good instances of the same.
One of the best parts of the book was when it helped me to understand exactly why so many news channels and especially Arnab has become a boot-licking dog of the BJP.
Quoting from the book, "One of the largest investors in India’s most viewed English news channel, Republic TV, is a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Rajeev Chandrashekhar.41 He is also the vice-chairman of the NDA’s Kerala wing and has a stake in several news ventures in south India, including Asianet News Network in Kerala, and Suvarna News and Kannada Prabha in Karnataka.42 Dispelling any notions that ownership would not translate into editorial interference, Amit Gupta, the chief operating officer of Jupiter Capital through which Chandrashekhar owns his media investments, sent an email to editorial heads on 21 September 2016. It was to clarify what the chairman, Chandrashekhar, wants from the networks. All editorial talent to be hired should be ‘right of centre in his/her editorial tonality’, ‘pro-India, pro-military’, ‘aligned to Chairman’s ideology’ and ‘well familiarized’ with the chairman’s thoughts on ‘nationalism and governance’. The email ended with, ‘Offers being rolled out shall be summarized and shared with Chairman’s office as regards the credentials (only) and hiring managers have to ensure that the above has been ticked appropriately.’" And other news channels have similar interest as is shown in the book.
Overall, the book is a must read for anyone who is interested in Indian politics, and the potential way in which technology can shape the future of politics, which it has already started doing.
Coming back to the book, it is written by someone who has worked with the IAPC under Prashant Kishor and helped Congress win the Punjab elections, and later worked under Ram Madhav and other BJP leaders to help BJP contest the Manipur and Tripura elections. This guy has a lot to offer us from his experience, and gives us some understanding about how the big parties like Congress and BJP function during the elections. Especially in today's date, when a large amout of voters data is available to these parties, helping them to selectively target the audience.
If you already have some idea of the fake news and propoganda spread by the political parties through social media and other mediums, this book will help you to reinforce your beliefs by providing you some good instances of the same.
One of the best parts of the book was when it helped me to understand exactly why so many news channels and especially Arnab has become a boot-licking dog of the BJP.
Quoting from the book, "One of the largest investors in India’s most viewed English news channel, Republic TV, is a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Rajeev Chandrashekhar.41 He is also the vice-chairman of the NDA’s Kerala wing and has a stake in several news ventures in south India, including Asianet News Network in Kerala, and Suvarna News and Kannada Prabha in Karnataka.42 Dispelling any notions that ownership would not translate into editorial interference, Amit Gupta, the chief operating officer of Jupiter Capital through which Chandrashekhar owns his media investments, sent an email to editorial heads on 21 September 2016. It was to clarify what the chairman, Chandrashekhar, wants from the networks. All editorial talent to be hired should be ‘right of centre in his/her editorial tonality’, ‘pro-India, pro-military’, ‘aligned to Chairman’s ideology’ and ‘well familiarized’ with the chairman’s thoughts on ‘nationalism and governance’. The email ended with, ‘Offers being rolled out shall be summarized and shared with Chairman’s office as regards the credentials (only) and hiring managers have to ensure that the above has been ticked appropriately.’" And other news channels have similar interest as is shown in the book.
Overall, the book is a must read for anyone who is interested in Indian politics, and the potential way in which technology can shape the future of politics, which it has already started doing.
December 7, 2021
One might might claim the author is not writing anything new and the contents are well known. I would say assuming the contents are well known to an average Indian is a strong one. We are drowning in an ocean of misleading and fake news and lies being hurled from political stages (and twitter).
The book talks about the practices of political parties, the nexus and interaction politicians, media and businessmen, the emergence and struggles of new formed parties (who wish to indulge in alternate politics), the significance of money in politics. The author speaks a lot about BJP, the machinery of propaganda they have created, the rift they have introduced in the society and also about few positives introudced by them.
Brand - Building a brand is important for winning votes. Rahul Gandhi didn’t build a brand for himself. So it was built by the BJP as Pappu. Whereas the person wearing clothes costing lakhs is branded as fakir and a humble person. Control the sentiments. Use the media to project the brand on the people and win over their emotions.
Theatrics - Commonly used where an offended politician would rush off to a police station and argue with policemen and for rights of the people or they would simply shed tears in front of the camera to garner sympathy votes.
Twisting statements - Really an integral part of Indian politics. During the Bihar elections, PM Modi had said something is wrong with Nitish Kumar’s DNA. This was twisted into something being wrong with Bihar’s DNA. A campaign was launched where hair and nails (the DNA) of Biharis were sent to the PM, taunting him to tell what was wrong with their DNA.
Claim you are winning an election - People vote for parties whom they think are winning. That is why every party claims beforehand they are winning. Voters don't want to waste their votes.
Effective Propaganda - Voters are lured with catchy effective slogans which they remember instead of stating obvious facts (regardless of how truthful they are). Elections are never won on economic performance...they are won on emotions. Distribution of cash and liquor is quite impactful. It is not just the politicians who do corruption. The voters are at fault because they expect cash payment in return for votes. After a candidate wins, he has additional incentive to indulge in corruption to recoup all his expenditure during the election.
The author comments on few other topics as well:
Media
Recently they have been controlled a lot more by political party or firms who rely on a lot of favour of the government. The BJP government has been closely monitoring the TV channels to ensure the content is pro government and bolsters the image of the PM. News is expensive so debates are used to create content. Debate participants are spokespersons who have little knowledge of the subject as getting experts is expensive. People go on a rant in debates to create propaganda. The entire machinery works so as to repeat a lie endlessly till it becomes a truth and engrained in people’s minds.
Functioning of a party
Indian political parties are usually not democratic. They are fiefdoms where everyone bows to a larger than life persona. Such people are always credited for election wins and shielded from criticisms or failures. It is important to be noticed by party stalwarts to rise in ranks. Avoid giving feedback to party leaders (regardless of truthfulness) and avoid any protests. The system doesn’t reward rebellious people too much and success is mostly reserved for people respecting the party hierarchy. Even in a newly formed AAP, dissent was curbed and senior leaders were shown their way out. The idea of a committee led party seems ideal on paper but soon factions of people start supporting different leaders and a rift arises.
Money
Needless to say, money is God in politics. The first thing one is asked when you want to enter politics is - How much money do you have? The amount of cash, alcohol and precious metals seized by EC is extremely high. Even this doesn’t hurt or concern the parties since the total amount spent is of much higher magnitude. Once you win, you can recover the spent money via bribes, extortion, etc.
Crony capitalism
Politicians make sure the problems of law and order, education, water, roads, etc. are not solved and people in their constituencies vote for them in exchange for solving these problems slowly and selectively. If the process of filing an FIR would become easier, people wouldn't flock to the MLA for a favor. The crooked politician takes funds from the corrupt businessman. Then he distributes the money in his constituency and the constituents vote for him. He also keeps protecting the business man from administration. One step in the direction of solving this problem would be to improve the delivery of government services.
Irom Sharmila
She was 16 years. She was forcefully fed in jail. She protested against the tyrannical laws which give the government the power to search anyone's house without warrant, if there is "reasonable suspect' of national security, in the seven North Eastern states of India. She entered politics hoping to project a clean image and do things rightfully. She got 90 votes! You cannot expect to win elections by not indulging in the divisive politics. Alternate politics is one without distributing money, protecting corrupt businessmen and taking money from them. This has not been sustainable in India.
Aap
Idealism vs practicality. Lots of obstacles were created for them by the central government. Senior leaders left the party because they felt the party was becoming less ideal and like just another regular political party.
Conclusive remarks
An educated Indian would not advent in the field of politics as chances of success are low and it involves spending lots of money. A corporate job would give him a higher assured salary. People who have nothing to lose even after years of work would be more willing to get involved in politics. Although they would be less suitable for the job.
Loved this book!
The book talks about the practices of political parties, the nexus and interaction politicians, media and businessmen, the emergence and struggles of new formed parties (who wish to indulge in alternate politics), the significance of money in politics. The author speaks a lot about BJP, the machinery of propaganda they have created, the rift they have introduced in the society and also about few positives introudced by them.
Brand - Building a brand is important for winning votes. Rahul Gandhi didn’t build a brand for himself. So it was built by the BJP as Pappu. Whereas the person wearing clothes costing lakhs is branded as fakir and a humble person. Control the sentiments. Use the media to project the brand on the people and win over their emotions.
Theatrics - Commonly used where an offended politician would rush off to a police station and argue with policemen and for rights of the people or they would simply shed tears in front of the camera to garner sympathy votes.
Twisting statements - Really an integral part of Indian politics. During the Bihar elections, PM Modi had said something is wrong with Nitish Kumar’s DNA. This was twisted into something being wrong with Bihar’s DNA. A campaign was launched where hair and nails (the DNA) of Biharis were sent to the PM, taunting him to tell what was wrong with their DNA.
Claim you are winning an election - People vote for parties whom they think are winning. That is why every party claims beforehand they are winning. Voters don't want to waste their votes.
Effective Propaganda - Voters are lured with catchy effective slogans which they remember instead of stating obvious facts (regardless of how truthful they are). Elections are never won on economic performance...they are won on emotions. Distribution of cash and liquor is quite impactful. It is not just the politicians who do corruption. The voters are at fault because they expect cash payment in return for votes. After a candidate wins, he has additional incentive to indulge in corruption to recoup all his expenditure during the election.
The author comments on few other topics as well:
Media
Recently they have been controlled a lot more by political party or firms who rely on a lot of favour of the government. The BJP government has been closely monitoring the TV channels to ensure the content is pro government and bolsters the image of the PM. News is expensive so debates are used to create content. Debate participants are spokespersons who have little knowledge of the subject as getting experts is expensive. People go on a rant in debates to create propaganda. The entire machinery works so as to repeat a lie endlessly till it becomes a truth and engrained in people’s minds.
Functioning of a party
Indian political parties are usually not democratic. They are fiefdoms where everyone bows to a larger than life persona. Such people are always credited for election wins and shielded from criticisms or failures. It is important to be noticed by party stalwarts to rise in ranks. Avoid giving feedback to party leaders (regardless of truthfulness) and avoid any protests. The system doesn’t reward rebellious people too much and success is mostly reserved for people respecting the party hierarchy. Even in a newly formed AAP, dissent was curbed and senior leaders were shown their way out. The idea of a committee led party seems ideal on paper but soon factions of people start supporting different leaders and a rift arises.
Money
Needless to say, money is God in politics. The first thing one is asked when you want to enter politics is - How much money do you have? The amount of cash, alcohol and precious metals seized by EC is extremely high. Even this doesn’t hurt or concern the parties since the total amount spent is of much higher magnitude. Once you win, you can recover the spent money via bribes, extortion, etc.
Crony capitalism
Politicians make sure the problems of law and order, education, water, roads, etc. are not solved and people in their constituencies vote for them in exchange for solving these problems slowly and selectively. If the process of filing an FIR would become easier, people wouldn't flock to the MLA for a favor. The crooked politician takes funds from the corrupt businessman. Then he distributes the money in his constituency and the constituents vote for him. He also keeps protecting the business man from administration. One step in the direction of solving this problem would be to improve the delivery of government services.
Irom Sharmila
She was 16 years. She was forcefully fed in jail. She protested against the tyrannical laws which give the government the power to search anyone's house without warrant, if there is "reasonable suspect' of national security, in the seven North Eastern states of India. She entered politics hoping to project a clean image and do things rightfully. She got 90 votes! You cannot expect to win elections by not indulging in the divisive politics. Alternate politics is one without distributing money, protecting corrupt businessmen and taking money from them. This has not been sustainable in India.
Aap
Idealism vs practicality. Lots of obstacles were created for them by the central government. Senior leaders left the party because they felt the party was becoming less ideal and like just another regular political party.
Conclusive remarks
An educated Indian would not advent in the field of politics as chances of success are low and it involves spending lots of money. A corporate job would give him a higher assured salary. People who have nothing to lose even after years of work would be more willing to get involved in politics. Although they would be less suitable for the job.
Loved this book!
April 25, 2022
Very interesting read that summarizes the current political scene in India. The author was a LAMP (Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament) fellow, and later went on to work for Prashant Kishore on Modi's 2014 campaign. The book does justice to its title as it offers a realistic picture on how election campaigns are run in India and what it takes to win elections. Throughout the book, Shivam offers surprising insights that make us understand why politics is the way it is in India. For instance, here is an interesting quote on why a politician is incentivized to keep his constituency's governance "sufficiently corrupt" to keep his voters dependent on him, but not too corrupt that he offers no value to his voters:
There is also some interesting analysis on the use of social media like WhatsApp for campaigning and propaganda. Overall, it is a very enjoyable read.
There are politicians in India who have understood the value they provide to voters and consciously made their constituents dependent on them. They slowly dismantle the police and the judiciary in their region so that people have to come to them for justice, and all public services for the region are in their control. If the process of getting ration cards or the ration itself became easier, then they would lose a part of the power they wield over their constituents. It is in their interest to patronize corrupt police and administrative officials who don’t do any work unless they receive a bribe or a call from the politician. Contrary to popular belief, this broken system of governance strengthens the politician’s chances of winning elections because people become dependent on him for getting even basic government services.
There is also some interesting analysis on the use of social media like WhatsApp for campaigning and propaganda. Overall, it is a very enjoyable read.
August 3, 2019
It's not Bollywood. No. It's not IPL either. The numero uno entertainment for us Indians is Elections. And we don't have to wait for it every 5 years. India is perpetually in election mode. Some election somewhere in our vast country would occupy our mindshare anytime of the year. It doesn't matter whether we can even find the place where election is happening in the map or not; it doesn't matter if we know the history or current affairs of that place. We attach ourselves to some political leaders as if they are our kith and kin. We rejoice when they win, and brood when they don't. We are swayed by the political narratives so much that our issues are not what we think those are, but what our politicians tell us. In the day time we discuss politics with our friends in office, in the evenings we chat in the whatsapp and in the night we watch the prime time news channels to get the daily dosage of political gimmickry.
We love our elections. We live our elections.
This book by an young political activist, who had been in the in the inner circles of the two main political parties of India, who got (in)famous because of his viral post - "Why I resigned from BJP", is neither an eye-opener nor an exposé of some of the darker secrets of Indian politics. Most of the narratives in the book have always been in the public domain. However, I liked the book, especially reading the journey of the young man in polls in various states of India, confirming my bias that how disillusioning it would be for any dreamy-eyed young man who join politics in order to make a difference. Well, as they say, all hope might not be lost. Just that I am too pessimistic a guy.
We love our elections. We live our elections.
This book by an young political activist, who had been in the in the inner circles of the two main political parties of India, who got (in)famous because of his viral post - "Why I resigned from BJP", is neither an eye-opener nor an exposé of some of the darker secrets of Indian politics. Most of the narratives in the book have always been in the public domain. However, I liked the book, especially reading the journey of the young man in polls in various states of India, confirming my bias that how disillusioning it would be for any dreamy-eyed young man who join politics in order to make a difference. Well, as they say, all hope might not be lost. Just that I am too pessimistic a guy.
February 1, 2024
Intresting book which will shed some light in political areas which we rarely or may not possible to know
Shivam shankar singh initially worked as an Legislative Assistant to Member of Parliament and then he joined in IPAC so he had opportunity to work & learn with Prashant Kishore in punjab state assembly election 2017 in favor of INC...
with this experience he became an sole election consultant and worked with then BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav for Manipur 2017 and tripura 2018 state legislative assembly elections. After securing two thumping victory for BJP he quit the party in later 2018.
He share his experience with Prashant Kishore, how he branded MODI as an Prime Ministerial face.
As an election consultant He describes how election works these days, what are the ways that personal datas being used, what's the role of money in election, role of social media, role of whatsapp groups, role of made up fake news, role of fictitious enemies, role of polarisation in terms of religion & caste, Role of an party ticket, role of election consultant, role of micro-targeting, role of news channels which owned by politically eccentric businessman's, why some personals like IROM SHARMILA iron lady of manipur, jayaprakash Narayan of lsp with pure intention of public serving faced brutal defeats in general elections, etc..
Topics like Fake news and the way that data being used for policital canvasing is just way beyond our imagination
Gripping reads for political enthusiasts!
Shivam shankar singh initially worked as an Legislative Assistant to Member of Parliament and then he joined in IPAC so he had opportunity to work & learn with Prashant Kishore in punjab state assembly election 2017 in favor of INC...
with this experience he became an sole election consultant and worked with then BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav for Manipur 2017 and tripura 2018 state legislative assembly elections. After securing two thumping victory for BJP he quit the party in later 2018.
He share his experience with Prashant Kishore, how he branded MODI as an Prime Ministerial face.
As an election consultant He describes how election works these days, what are the ways that personal datas being used, what's the role of money in election, role of social media, role of whatsapp groups, role of made up fake news, role of fictitious enemies, role of polarisation in terms of religion & caste, Role of an party ticket, role of election consultant, role of micro-targeting, role of news channels which owned by politically eccentric businessman's, why some personals like IROM SHARMILA iron lady of manipur, jayaprakash Narayan of lsp with pure intention of public serving faced brutal defeats in general elections, etc..
Topics like Fake news and the way that data being used for policital canvasing is just way beyond our imagination
Gripping reads for political enthusiasts!
July 29, 2025
Shivam Shankar Singh’s How to Win an Indian Election is an alarming yet fascinating insider’s look at the machinery of modern Indian politics. Written by someone who has worked within the growing field of political consulting—a discipline still relatively nascent in India—the book offers a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on how parties craft their strategies, deploy propaganda, and micro-target citizens during elections.
One of the book’s most refreshing aspects is its focus on the politics of Northeast India, a region often overlooked in mainstream political discourse dominated by the Hindi heartland. Singh highlights how the techniques of political consulting—data analytics, messaging strategies, and grassroots mobilization—intersect with the unique sociopolitical fabric of the Northeast, revealing a side of Indian elections rarely discussed in depth.
While the narrative is engaging, it’s also unsettling, especially when Singh details the precision with which voters are profiled and influenced. For readers unfamiliar with the growing professionalization of Indian politics, this book is both eye-opening and, at times, chilling.
Part memoir, part reportage, How to Win an Indian Election can be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the mechanics of Indian democracy beyond rallies and headlines—and how strategy, not just ideology, drives modern elections.
One of the book’s most refreshing aspects is its focus on the politics of Northeast India, a region often overlooked in mainstream political discourse dominated by the Hindi heartland. Singh highlights how the techniques of political consulting—data analytics, messaging strategies, and grassroots mobilization—intersect with the unique sociopolitical fabric of the Northeast, revealing a side of Indian elections rarely discussed in depth.
While the narrative is engaging, it’s also unsettling, especially when Singh details the precision with which voters are profiled and influenced. For readers unfamiliar with the growing professionalization of Indian politics, this book is both eye-opening and, at times, chilling.
Part memoir, part reportage, How to Win an Indian Election can be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the mechanics of Indian democracy beyond rallies and headlines—and how strategy, not just ideology, drives modern elections.
July 29, 2022
Sometime in 2021, when I was vehemently finding resources to learn more about IT cells in the country and how they operate, the search lead from Twitter to Goodreads to obscure anti-establishment websites and eventually Reddit threads by creators of said websites who had recommended a few books. How to win an Indian election was one of them.
This is a phenomenal book by an insider from electoral politics from one of the most polarizing times within the party at the center of it all. The book covers a lot of ground, from speaking about the internals of how different layers of a party function and what drives each of them, the mechanics of what it takes to build a brand and its importance in winning elections, the role of media and specifics of who owns & who controls them in India 2018, the way social media is used for targeting at a scale much larger and much farther than Cambridge Analytica, how regional & religional & casteist beliefs are fundamentally ingrained in the country and leveraged for political gain, the role of powerful business people & their influence during and after elections. And really just, money. Just the absurdities at all levels, with real-world examples of cases from the past few years.
The book is fairly easy to read and is written in a gripping fashion. It most certainly isn't one to dissect the depths of each of these topics, because each could be a book on it's own. But it very certainly sets you up to want to find those answers.
This is a phenomenal book by an insider from electoral politics from one of the most polarizing times within the party at the center of it all. The book covers a lot of ground, from speaking about the internals of how different layers of a party function and what drives each of them, the mechanics of what it takes to build a brand and its importance in winning elections, the role of media and specifics of who owns & who controls them in India 2018, the way social media is used for targeting at a scale much larger and much farther than Cambridge Analytica, how regional & religional & casteist beliefs are fundamentally ingrained in the country and leveraged for political gain, the role of powerful business people & their influence during and after elections. And really just, money. Just the absurdities at all levels, with real-world examples of cases from the past few years.
The book is fairly easy to read and is written in a gripping fashion. It most certainly isn't one to dissect the depths of each of these topics, because each could be a book on it's own. But it very certainly sets you up to want to find those answers.
May 11, 2021
Nice, but this book contains many technological contents so if you are also interested in that topic you can understand the book completely but i like the last topic 'the experiments' the author not only says his opinions he also has many examples in this topic.On the whole even you've read the whole book you will be satisfied within the last two pages, this is my first book i've read which contains more than 200+pages and that is the reason I'm saying these much of comments and i like the most is the way he justifies his points why he left the party (6th chapter) but what i expected is what is he's next move in his career but he didn't mentioned anything about that. I request every voter to read this....
December 17, 2020
Has it ever crossed your mind as to how the political parties work? How they ensure to win and control their cadre? If these are the questions which ponder your mind then this is the book which you should pick and this book contains the detailed answer to all such queries, I really liked this book as it contained the anecdotes which the author has witnessed himself. This book answers almost all the queries of the political system and tells you the other side of political parties which are not able to witness as we just see the positive image of Politicians which are created by the advertisement. This book is an easy read on one of the most complex topics around us i.e., Politics and Elections.
March 23, 2021
It's an Augean stable and Hercules can't thrive.
Now let's talk about winning elections. It's not that hard. First of all let's just accept the fact that we often lose because we have unrealistic expectations. It's no different here. Secondly there's a set formula and rules. As our Math teacher would say, to get the solution apply the formula and adhere to the rules.
PS: To know the rules and formula, read this book.
Now let's talk about winning elections. It's not that hard. First of all let's just accept the fact that we often lose because we have unrealistic expectations. It's no different here. Secondly there's a set formula and rules. As our Math teacher would say, to get the solution apply the formula and adhere to the rules.
PS: To know the rules and formula, read this book.
April 20, 2019
Insightful.
April 30, 2019
A must read for every voter in India!
July 22, 2020
A great read you won't be able to keep down easily
July 26, 2021
Former political strategist who has worked for BJP campaigns exposes the reality of politics in India. Covers various aspects of such a critical issue, but lacks depth at several points, repeats ideas, sometimes irrelevant to the topic.
Short summary - Data analysis, social media influence and fake news are further deepening the caste, religion, Identity based divisions across India. More or less every party does dubious acts contrary to what they appear on surface, to survive in this vicious nexus of politics. Only way forward is if enough people decide to change the system together.
Short summary - Data analysis, social media influence and fake news are further deepening the caste, religion, Identity based divisions across India. More or less every party does dubious acts contrary to what they appear on surface, to survive in this vicious nexus of politics. Only way forward is if enough people decide to change the system together.
March 23, 2022
Must-Read.
April 13, 2019
In all aspects of life, there exists an inevitable chasm between theoritical discourse and practical realities. In 'How to Win an Indian Election' Shivam Shankar Singh draws on his experience as a LAMP fellow, political consultant and political worker across multiple Indian elections in the states of Punjab, Nagaland and Manipur to bridge this gap.
The book stands tall on a solid foundation of technical expertise on things like data analytics, segmentation, guerilla marketing, digital marketing and use of mass media that is reshaping the electoral paradigm, insider knowledge and sound analysis. The author has drawn on his personal experience and publicly available information to create a compelling narrative on the changing scenario of Indian electoral politics.
Refreshingly, inspite of the inclusion of vignettes of personal experience, the narrative remains distant and objective in its observation, without aligning to a particular political party. Some of the revelations are quite disconcerting and will make you construct parallels with the Nazi brand of propaganda based politics championed by Hitler and Goebbels. The author also throws in a pertinent analysis of the systemic flaws of the socio-political and economic machineries that contribute to this vicious cycle.
Though the author tries to create a silver lining of hope in the last chapter, reading this book will make you wonder if the Indian political rhetoric has undergone an irreversible change for the worse irrespective of the outcome of the elections.
The book stands tall on a solid foundation of technical expertise on things like data analytics, segmentation, guerilla marketing, digital marketing and use of mass media that is reshaping the electoral paradigm, insider knowledge and sound analysis. The author has drawn on his personal experience and publicly available information to create a compelling narrative on the changing scenario of Indian electoral politics.
Refreshingly, inspite of the inclusion of vignettes of personal experience, the narrative remains distant and objective in its observation, without aligning to a particular political party. Some of the revelations are quite disconcerting and will make you construct parallels with the Nazi brand of propaganda based politics championed by Hitler and Goebbels. The author also throws in a pertinent analysis of the systemic flaws of the socio-political and economic machineries that contribute to this vicious cycle.
Though the author tries to create a silver lining of hope in the last chapter, reading this book will make you wonder if the Indian political rhetoric has undergone an irreversible change for the worse irrespective of the outcome of the elections.
April 19, 2019
TL;DR - Cannot recommend this book to anyone.
The book's title and description promises to give the reader a deep insight and an insider's perspective into how political parties use social media platforms and collect 'data' to influence voters and win elections. Sadly, the books fails to deliver any of that.
The only relevant information the author gives on this could be easily summed up in a few lines: the author while working as 'political consultant' collected data of voters by writing some 'python scripts' to extract data which was publicly available and by helping in conducting 'surveys'. This data was then 'analysed' and used to direct specific message to specific groups.
Bizarrely, the author doesn't go any deeper into these topics and chooses to write pages after pages about the obvious nature of politics. Anyone who follows news even a little bit will find a major part of the book extremely redundant and full of opinions (Just to be clear: My opinions align with author's but that is not why I intended to read this book). And someone who has no idea of Indian politics will find it difficult to follow the book because of the lack of context (although it is well referenced) and because it is not the what the book was meant to be written about. This makes it difficult to recommend this book to anyone.
IMO, the author is extremely immature in two different levels. First, I felt a lack of discipline in a way, that the author chooses to delve into areas which are well beyond the scope of the book. Second and more importantly, I feel that the author lacks understanding and experience to write on the core topic that is : how political parties use data to influence voters.
This could have easily been an editorial article for a newspaper but somehow the author decided to make it a book.
The book's title and description promises to give the reader a deep insight and an insider's perspective into how political parties use social media platforms and collect 'data' to influence voters and win elections. Sadly, the books fails to deliver any of that.
The only relevant information the author gives on this could be easily summed up in a few lines: the author while working as 'political consultant' collected data of voters by writing some 'python scripts' to extract data which was publicly available and by helping in conducting 'surveys'. This data was then 'analysed' and used to direct specific message to specific groups.
Bizarrely, the author doesn't go any deeper into these topics and chooses to write pages after pages about the obvious nature of politics. Anyone who follows news even a little bit will find a major part of the book extremely redundant and full of opinions (Just to be clear: My opinions align with author's but that is not why I intended to read this book). And someone who has no idea of Indian politics will find it difficult to follow the book because of the lack of context (although it is well referenced) and because it is not the what the book was meant to be written about. This makes it difficult to recommend this book to anyone.
IMO, the author is extremely immature in two different levels. First, I felt a lack of discipline in a way, that the author chooses to delve into areas which are well beyond the scope of the book. Second and more importantly, I feel that the author lacks understanding and experience to write on the core topic that is : how political parties use data to influence voters.
This could have easily been an editorial article for a newspaper but somehow the author decided to make it a book.
July 10, 2022
This book contains fundamental truths which we all know:
*Indian elections can be won through money only. Agencies like EC are running the charade of containing money power.
* It will continue to be so because it is the voters who want the money. The corruption comes from the society.
*Social media is going to be a very potent tool for running election campaigns and affecting their outcomes.
* It is the nexus of the few which determines the mainstream discourse among the many and this will remain so.
*Everyone who comes to change the system gets co-opted. That’s the beauty of the system.
* Public life is about acting by various stakeholders like politicians, media, bureaucrats, NGOs, charismatic personalities etc. who takes different positions based on opportunistic benefits.
* Nothing is going to change not because we are cynical at the moment but because this has been so since the age of the first communities, kingdoms and Empires.
*Indian elections can be won through money only. Agencies like EC are running the charade of containing money power.
* It will continue to be so because it is the voters who want the money. The corruption comes from the society.
*Social media is going to be a very potent tool for running election campaigns and affecting their outcomes.
* It is the nexus of the few which determines the mainstream discourse among the many and this will remain so.
*Everyone who comes to change the system gets co-opted. That’s the beauty of the system.
* Public life is about acting by various stakeholders like politicians, media, bureaucrats, NGOs, charismatic personalities etc. who takes different positions based on opportunistic benefits.
* Nothing is going to change not because we are cynical at the moment but because this has been so since the age of the first communities, kingdoms and Empires.
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