Name: Jitendra Kumar
Country: India

Year: 2025
Volume: Volume-10, Issue-2 (July-December)
Page Number: 302-310
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20267762

ABSTRACT:
Religious polarization has emerged as one of the most significant features of contemporary Indian electoral politics. In a multicultural and constitutionally secular democracy like India, religion has increasingly become a powerful instrument of political mobilization, influencing electoral behavior, party strategies, and public discourse. The growing intersection between religion and politics has transformed electoral competition into identity-based political contests, particularly after the rise of mass media, social media platforms, and populist political narratives. This study examines the
relationship between religious polarization and electoral politics in contemporary India, with special emphasis on the role of political parties, media narratives, and digital communication in shaping communal identities during elections. The primary objective of this research is to analyze how
religious identities are politically mobilized and how such polarization affects democratic values, secularism, and social cohesion. The study adopts a qualitative, descriptive, and analytical methodology based on secondary sources such as scholarly books, journal articles, election reports, media coverage, and survey data. The findings suggest that identity politics has significantly strengthened electoral polarization, while social media and digital propaganda have accelerated communal narratives and emotional political mobilization. The study further reveals that increasing religious polarization poses challenges to constitutional secularism, democratic pluralism, and inclusive governance. The article concludes that strengthening democratic institutions, promoting constitutional values, regulating hate speech, and encouraging civic awareness are essential for preserving India’s pluralistic democratic framework.

Keywords: Religious Polarization, Electoral Politics, Identity Politics, Secularism, Democracy, India