Memes are all over social media, from awareness to virtual political battles

As the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections got off on Friday, colorful memes, many of which included comedic references to well-known Bollywood movies, went viral on social media. These memes were used for everything, from criticizing political rivals to educating the public.

In the world’s biggest democratic exercise, major political parties have attempted to outmaneuver their competitors in both in-person demonstrations and online slugfests. Social media sites, ranging from Instagram to X, have seen intense competitions for political supremacy via poster wars and even more intense meme wars.

However, in the midst of this digital mayhem, the European Commission (EC), which is hosting the biggest elections ever, has utilized memes to connect with voters, particularly the younger ones, and has sometimes used funny quotes or dialogue from well-known films to emphasize its points.

We can’t wait to cast our votes. Are you prepared as well? The ECI utilized a meme with the slogan “Excitement of first-time voters before voting” that was based on a still from a scene from the movie “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” that it uploaded on X on Wednesday.

The commission sometimes included local languages from the polling zone in its postings on X in an effort to better communicate with the general public. “Amar vote, amar doyitvo,” the Election Commission (EC) said on Friday, showcasing images of West Bengal voters, both young and elderly. In its post on X, it used phrases like “Padharo mhare polling booth” along with images of people in Rajasthan.

The EC has also utilized memes to raise awareness in the last few days. On April 11, it released a humorous meme inspired by the web series “The Family Man,” which had internet users in stitches.

Experts claim that because memes and humor appeal to young people, they may have the intended influence on these voters’ minds, which is important since the poll panel wants to increase participation.

In the NDA vs. INDIA contest, the governing BJP and the opposition parties, the Congress and AAP, both of whom are a member of the INDIA bloc, have outwitted one another using social media and internet platforms. The AAP released a slew of posters criticizing the current government on X on Thursday. Recently, X created an AAP digital banner with a picture of Modi and the phrase “BJP hatao, Samvidhan bachao” with the slogan “Modi ko hatana hai kyonki.”

AAP also put up a few posters about its “Jail ka jawab vote se” campaign on X on Thursday. AAP posted a video meme on X on March 15th, ridiculing the BJP on electoral bonds. Meanwhile, other postings referred to the party’s platform as “Sankalp Patra as not a ghoshna patra, but a “jumla patra.” The Congress made a subtle jab at the BJP on Thursday by posting a video on X with the satirical caption, “Berozgari bahut hai, Baki sab thik hai.”