Political Communications in India: Comparing the era of Nehru and Modi

India has experienced an intricate pattern of political communication in times of popular leaders which has shaped larger political discourses and narratives on nationalism, secularism, caste and class. The increasingly mediatized political communication merits a comparative between the Nehruvian era (1947-1964) and the contemporary times (Modi, 2014 - till now) as both the eras are led by popular leaders. This research attempts to evaluate the contours of mediatised political communication in India, through a qualitative content analysis of the political communication of the two leaders. The research utilises historical speeches and media interactions of the two leaders, using the archival data such as historical records, speeches, writings, newspaper articles and television broadcasts. The political communication between the Nehruvian and contemporary era is crucial in terms of both traditional media and new media. Nehru relied on traditional media for his communication and used a public place to address the masses fundamental issues of the country. Modi’s communication strategies emphasised new sources of media such as social media and online news and is focused on the individual-centric and mediacentric communication shaping the political narrative in contemporary India.