Election

Election Campaign or Political Campaign is a set of activities and efforts conducted towards the public or a particular group to influence their thoughts and convince them to gain their support in the election. It also helps to shape the public opinion in the favour of a particular political party or candidate. The campaigns are also used to highlight the achievements of a political party through print and electronic media.

The significance of Election Campaign during election could be understood from the fact that a huge amount of expenditure is incurred by the political parties on these campaigns.

Election Campaigns are a way by which political parties try to structure the opinion of the public through public meetings, rallies, road shows and interviews etc. It gives them a platform through which they convey their messages to the citizens so that they support them in the elections.

Political Campaigns also provide a platform for healthy debate between political rivals. It gives them an equal chance to showcase their achievements and highlight the weaknesses of their rivals which helps the public to frame their opinion for the election.

Reaching out to public is also an important step to understand the ground reality of a region and Election Campaign makes it possible through local public meetings, open talks, personal communication, direct public interactions etc.

Political parties in India gear up for the election campaign just before the start of the election. The campaign starts by organising mammoth rallies, large public meetings, door to door canvassing, extravagant road shows etc. Campaigning is also done through mass advertising via print and electronic media.

Newspapers, radios, televisions etc are highly used for the election campaign highlighting the achievements, policies and promises of the political parties. With the availability of most affordable internet services, election campaigns have gone digital and made their way to social media platforms also.

From the perspective of the political parties, Election Campaigns plays a significant role in persuading the voters in the election process. It helps them to reach out to the public for direct interaction and share their policies and promises.

From the perspective of public, election campaigns help to know the candidates, their policies and frame an opinion towards them. It also gives a platform where they can highlight their issues and have direct talks with the candidates.

Elections and Election Campaigns signify the presence of a healthy democracy in a country. It gives a fair option to the public to vote for a right candidate and a stable government. Election Campaigns may sometimes be luring, deceptive and misleading too hence an individual should always rely on his instinct and intelligence before arriving at any decision and use his voting right sensibly.