Contemporary Populism and Political Communication in India: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Narendra Modi`s Speech

Populism is a transnational phenomenon that considered as a substantial factor behind the re-orientation of global politics. This article suggests that the qualitative nature of the rhetorical structure employed by different political leaders ostensibly influences their respective political communication. From the perspective of populist communication, this study presents findings from the empirical analysis of Narendra Modi`s Independence Day speech to understand the qualitative aspect of thematic constructs of populism. The phenomenon of populism is taken as a communicative style in which leader employ discursive strategies for constitution of the strong connection with the population. The rise of populism in the contemporary India, along with the enabling factors, put emphasis on the theoretical understanding of populist constructs in the political communication by the Modi. Using the critical discourse analysis, the article identifies articulation of discursive strategies embedded in the speech such as “narrative of slavery”, politics of appeasement, Amrit Kal “Nation First”, and “The People”. The article contributed to academic literature pertaining to mediated populism in the non-western settings that can be interpreted through the lens of leader and people relations.