From Onion Prices to Online Payments: How Data and Digital Campaigns are Redefining the Indian Voter
By Rishi Dalvi•
The issues that once formed the bedrock of Indian elections—poverty, inflation, unemployment, and crop prices—are, as Zaid Chaudhary notes, receding from public discourse. In their place, campaigns are dominated by two contrasting forces: caste arithmetic and data-driven microtargeting.
The Disappearance of “Real Issues”
- Online payment effect: Bulk digital payments mask per-unit price increases, dulling the felt impact of inflation.
- Rush culture: A hurry to “get things done” normalizes corruption and discourages scrutiny.
- Social media captivity: Public attention is optimized for virality, not sustained civic engagement.
- Primacy of caste: With economic issues sidelined, voting defaults to pre-existing identities.
The Dominance of Data-Driven Strategy
What Is Microtargeting?
- Data collection: Voter records and digital trackers build profiles.
- Profiling: Segment voters by demographics, interests, and behavior.
- Personalization: Tailor content to segments (youth–jobs, seniors–pensions, farmers–MSP).
- Targeting: Deliver via channels that maximize relevance.
Personalized messaging reframes priorities for each segment, reinforces existing opinions, and increases persuasion by feeling uniquely relevant.
The New Campaign Blueprint
| Strategic Component | Description | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-election data prep | Collect booth-level signals; study past results; cluster by common features | Informs microtargeting and refines caste arithmetic |
| Post-ticket branding | Build a visible, trusted persona; connect to grassroots issues | Compensates when broad “real issue” momentum is weak |
| Digital engagement | Behind-the-scenes videos, issue-based reels, clear messaging | Acts as a parallel rally with constant, low-cost visibility |
| Ground-level force | Volunteer army for door-to-door reinforcement | Converts digital signals into turnout |