India General Elections 2024: Role of celebrities in India's electoral battles

In the recent years the intertwining of celebrity influence and politics has become notable phenomenon in India Celebrities especially from the Hindi cinema industry have tried their luck with politics while some have had successful innings some did notCelebrities joining politics amid India General Elections 2024Celebrities entering politics are not a recent phenomenon in India From Sunil Dutt to Amitabh Bachchan and more recently Govinda Kangana Ranaut to Rupali Ganguly the border between entertainment industry and politics has frequently crossed These individuals add flair and exposure to political campaigns drawing media attention and popular interest Their celebrity status can be a valuable asset in a country where politics is fiercely competitive and mediadrivenAmid the India General Elections 2024 many celebrities including Govinda fondly called as Chichi and Shekhar Suman have joined parties like Shiv Sena BJP The saffron party interestingly has feilded many celebrities in this elections including Ramayanfame Arun Govil and Kangana RanautIndia General Elections 2024 Influence of celebritiesCelebrity endorsements have the potential to significantly influence election outcomes Celebrities can mobilise significant sectors of the population particularly young voters who are more likely to follow their favourite stars This was clear when Vijay launched his own political party causing a surge of excitement among his Tamil Nadu fansAlso Read Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Increasing womens representation in Maharashtras electoral battlesHowever experts argue that celebrity endorsements can overshadow critical political issues They highlight the importance of informed and issuebased voting above stardriven selections Celebrities may deflect attention away from real policy discussions and towards personalitydriven politics which is cause for concernDr Mrudul Nile who is a professor of political science with Mumbai University said that the celebrity status does not bear much impact did not especially in India General Elections 2024Speaking about celebrities in politics Dr Nile said Celebrities who endorse paan masalas online gaming applications like rummy do they have credibility to speak about burning issues At most their appearances are for political favours With India General Elections 2024 people are talking about things that affect them directly like inflation unemployment and deteriorating quality of peoples lives in terms of HDI Policy analysts should rather be discussing on these issuesHe further pointed that the celebrities are Member of Parliament because they have that statusCelebrity MPs are in the House because of their celebrity status however the concern in intellectural poverty among them What is their contribution to the Parliament If the celebrities understand policy they should definitely contribute to the discourse but if they get a platform and ask prime minister about whether they eat mangoes it has no impact Dr Nile pointed outHe further stated that their image is only a screen imageThe celebrities should understand peoples sentiments They are like standalone figures unlike the leaders who have come from among the public and represents them However I believe at least in India General Elections 2024 the celebrities have not had much impact Dr Nile reiteratedIndia General Elections 2024 Voters sentimentsAmong voters the most important stakeholders in this dynamic a prevalent feeling is that while celebrities might raise awareness for political causes their engagement should not overshadow the core features of governance and policymakingSpeaking to middaycom a Mumbaibased media professional said that the celebrities have not had either negative or positive impact on politics She said barring the likes of MGR Jayalalithaa she cannot recall celebrities having a huge impact on peoples political inclinationPolitical figures themselves endorse themselves as such big brands today that an external celebrity influence is not needed to sway the judgement of the people Having said that the political opinion of a celebrity might help them attain more followers if they favour the party of their audience But I do not feel the political opinion of celebrities influence the aam janta public she saidThe Mumbaikar said that she likes to base her choice on mindset vision of the party for countrys good than celebritys endorsementWhen asked whether celebrities are qualified to hold political office the Mumbaikar said I believe that any person with clear intent and vision to make India a better place should be allowed to contest irrespective of their past occupationElaborating on it she said a basic educational qualification should be enforced on those who desires to hold political office that has power to influence soceital changes Criminal cases against interested candidates should also be reviewed they addedThe media professional said that celebrities should be addressing concerns best suited to their feild of interest and cited the example of actorturnedpolitician Jaya Bachchan who spoke in Parliament on attack against film industrys freedom of expressionJaya Bachchan had spoken in parliament about attack against the film industrys freedom of expression and the impact of boycott calls against the industry With the diversity that exists in our country we also have a range of problems to tackle which can be addressed by people who have different backgrounds the Mumbaikar added