How Modi and the BJP turned WhatsApp into an election-winning machine

Rest of World reports that the BJP has built an extensive WhatsApp campaigning operation that shapes political messaging in India's elections, with its reach documented in detail in the small town of Mandi. Its analysis of activity in BJP-affiliated groups there found a network of more than 400 WhatsApp groups run by party volunteers, organized by location, profession, religion, caste and other demographics. The report also found that the closed nature of the platform blurs the line between party messaging and personal speech, making it hard for voters to tell which messages come from the BJP. Unnamed party leaders told the Deccan Herald that the BJP operates at least 5 million WhatsApp groups in India.