1PhD Candidate, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India
Online published on 31 January, 2025.
Jammu and Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region of India, was stripped of its autonomy in August 2019. The political move deepened the divide between major local political parties like the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC) on one side, and the BJP on the other. Despite having previously formed a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP and PDP adopted different political languages following the revocation of special status. Hailing the abrogation as key to fully integrating Jammu and Kashmir into India, the BJP often highlighted that the move would bring development and economic growth to the region. However, the PDP depicted the abrogation as a betrayal of the promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and a threat to their cultural and political distinctiveness.
This study analyzed the Facebook content of the BJP and PDP to understand how these parties use different political languages to engage voters ahead of the 2024 general elections.
To achieve these objectives, the study utilized qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods, providing a complete understanding of the political discourse employed by these parties on Facebook.
This research, grounded in framing and agenda-setting theory as well as the principles of political communication, investigated the political rhetoric employed by the PDP and the BJP in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections.
General Elections 2024, BJP, PDP, Jammu & Kashmir, Facebook, Election Campaign, Article 370
