Memes as Political Commentary: Analyzing India’s 2024 Election Results Day Memescape

Abstract

Memes have become ubiqioutous with digital culture and tend to go viral during important points in history including events like elections. They are increasingly playing a crucial role in setting the narrative for political debates and engagement especially among younger age-cohorts including Gen Z and Millennial. Memes have also given impetus to digital and visual politics in the countries with political parties leveraging the new juxtaposition of the visuals and sounds for the strengthening their agenda, attacking the opposition leaders and attracting the electorate especially the young voters. India concluded its general elections in 2024 with the none of the national parties getting a comfortable mandate (272 seats in Lok Sabha out of 543 required) to form a government despite the claims of getting 2/3^rd or 3/4rd majority by different parties. Thus, the social media was flooded with memes on the vote counting day i.e. 4^th June 2024 with the memes on the varied themes which set the political narrative for the political debates and narratives on the subsequent days until the new government was formed by NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the return of coalition politics after a decade in the Indian political system. The paper attempts to analyse the various political memes on diverse political issues especially pertaining to the election results that were viral on the election vote counting day. It also reflect upon the templates and political themes from the popular culture such as popular web series, hindi films and television characters of the contemporary times.