Shaping Votes: The Intersection of Social Media and Political Communication

Dr. Prashant Shahi¹, Ms. Abhilasha Shrotriya^2* Mr. Tatsat Srivastava³, Ms. Ananya Bansal⁴ and Ms. Vaishnavi Sharma⁵

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi

²Senior Executive, Research and Development, The Round Table, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

 ³Vertical Head, Research and Development, The Round Table, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

⁴Junior Executive, Research and Development, The Round Table, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

⁵Junior Executive, Research and Development, The Round Table, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

*Corresponding Author, E-mail: shrotriyaabhilasha21@gmail.com / researchanddevelopment.trt@gmail.com

Issue: Volume 2 No. 1 (March 2026) Anubodhan

Received: 23 March 2026 / Accepted: 30 March  / 2026  Published: 31 March 2026   

DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n1.2026.032

Abstract

Elections are fundamental expressions of democratic practice and are increasingly entwined with changing modes of information dissemination. Social media platforms have become crucial spaces for the creation, dissemination, and contestation of political narratives in recent years. This study considers the widespread belief that these platforms, particularly Instagram and Facebook, exert significant influence on electoral outcomes, with their impact manifesting in similar magnitude but through different mechanisms. The paper explores the interaction between different forms of online political communication vis-à-vis unofficial social media accounts’ political news coverage and official political party campaigns, and their potential to shape narratives within the digital public sphere. Drawing on primary evidence, it was established that third party social media accounts gain more traction than political parties’ official social media campaigns because of their more interactive, engaging and easy-to understand communication, proving the importance of memes, reels and other social media communication tools in political narrative setting online. The contribution of these dynamics to engagemesnt and opinion formation amongst social media users and the electorate is also emphasised. The study concludes that the influence of social media on pivotal and overarching democratic processes like elections is significant, varied and multifaceted, necessitating attention from policymakers and politicians.

How to cite: Shahi, P. K., et. al. (2026). Shaping Votes: The Intersection of Social Media and Political Communication. Anubodhan, 2(1), 326–343. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n1.2026.032