New Books Network Amogh Dhar Sharma, "The Backstage of Democracy: India's Election Campaigns and the People Who Manage Them" (Cambridge UP, 2024)
Jun 29, 2025
Amogh Dhar Sharma, a Departmental Lecturer at the University of Oxford, delves into the evolving landscape of Indian election campaigns. He highlights the surge of political consultancy and social media's pivotal role since 2014, noting how these changes reflect a new political culture. The discussion touches on the disillusionment of the middle class and the rise of lower caste movements that challenge traditional power dynamics. Sharma also shares insights on the impact of technology, data analytics, and personal narratives of political consultants, revealing the complexities behind India's electoral strategies.
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Deep Professionalization of Indian Campaigns
- Political campaigns in India have deeply professionalized beyond just social media use since the early 2010s.
- This reflects changes in political expertise, party power distribution, and citizens' political attitudes.
Backstage Politics Evolves in India
- "Backstage" politics has always existed in India but the composition and power of backstage actors changed.
- New professionals claiming political expertise now control campaign strategies more than traditional party insiders.
Researching Secretive Campaign Worlds
- Interdisciplinary methods helped navigate secrecy and limited access to political campaign actors.
- Combining interviews, archival research, and digital forensics enabled triangulating campaign practices.
