{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T20:52:05Z","timestamp":1760043125175,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,12]],"date-time":"2011-08-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1313107200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this exploratory study is to look at how the Internet was used by political parties and candidates during the Indian parliamentary elections of 2009.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 31 web sites belonging to political parties and their candidates in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were examined for how they were used to mobilize volunteers and voters. An online questionnaire and in\u2010depth interviews were administered to the web site coordinators\/designers and politicians.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study found that sites were not used to their maximum potential but instead, merely for publicity, online presence, and to explore the new medium. There was greater reliance by most candidates on traditional media such as rallies and face\u2010to\u2010face interaction. The reason may be due to the limited Internet penetration in India, which also means the Internet may have less influence on voters. Some candidates have shown the way to the potential use of the medium for fund raising and recruiting volunteers. But Indian politicians will likely continue to be cautious in using the Internet.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study was limited to the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat and did not consider the impact or the effectiveness of the Internet.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>This is the first such study of the use of web sites for electioneering in India. It also documents the development in the use of the new medium for campaigning in 2009 as compared with the elections of 2004.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/10662241111158317","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,27]],"date-time":"2011-08-27T07:22:49Z","timestamp":1314429769000},"page":"435-457","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Web sites for e\u2010electioneering in Maharashtra and Gujarat, India"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Rahul","family":"Gadekar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kiran","family":"Thakur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Peng","family":"Hwa Ang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b1","unstructured":"Advani, L.K. (2009), Electioneering: From Handbill to the Internet. The Post on His Blog, February 17, available at: http:\/\/blogs.siliconindia.com\/LKAdvani\/Electioneering_From_Handbill_to_the_Internet\u2010bid\u20102436GwI910882.html (accessed April 8, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b2","unstructured":"Afilias (2006), More than Two Lakh Names Registered with \u2018in\u2019 Domain, A news report published on the web site of \u2018Afilias\u2019, available at: www.afilias.info\/news\/related\/64\/44+42+100+96+88+90+98+92+94+99+95+34+87+89+45+91+43+31+97+93+35+79+80+24+85+36?page=8 (Afilias is the world's leading provider of Internet infrastructure solutions. Afilias India provided technical support to the Government of India for .IN domain.) (accessed October 28, 2010)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b3","unstructured":"Anstead, N. and Chadwick, A. (2008), \u201cParties, election campaigning, and the Internet. Toward a comparative institutional approach\u201d, The Handbook of Internet Politics, Chap. 5, pp. 58\u201071, available at: www.rhul.ac.uk\/politics\u2010and\u2010ir\/about\u2010us\/chadwick\/Pdf\/Nick_Anstead_Andrew_Chadwick_Parties_Election_Campaigning_and_Internet.pdf (accessed May 1, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bimber, B. and Davis, R. (2003), Campaigning Online: The Internet in US Elections, Oxford University Press, Oxford.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195151558.001.0001"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b5","unstructured":"Census of India (2001), \u201cAbstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues \u2013 2001\u201d, Census of India, Government of India, available at: www.censusindia.gov.in\/Census_Data_2001\/Census_Data_Online\/Language\/Statement1.htm (accessed September 2, 2010)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chopra, R. (2006), \u201cGlobal primordialities: virtual identity politics in online Hindutva and online Dalit discourse\u201d, New Media Society, Vol. 8 No. 187.","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444806061942"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b7","unstructured":"Clavel, A.S. (2008), \u201cBetween columns \u2013 the use of Internet the political campaigns\u201d, Mundo Electoral, Vol. 1 No. 3."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Davis, S. (2005), \u201cPresidential campaigns fine\u2010tune online strategies\u201d, Journalism Studies, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 241\u20104.","DOI":"10.1080\/14616700500057452"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b9","unstructured":"Delli Carpini, M.X. and Keeter, S. (1996), What Americans Know about Politics and Why It Matters, Yale University Press, New Haven CT."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b10","unstructured":"Dougherty, M. and Foot, K.A. (2007), \u201cThe Internet and elections project research design\u201d, in Kluvar, R., Jankowski, N.W., Foot, K.A. and Schneider, S.M. (Eds), The Internet and National Elections: A Comparative Study of Web Campaigning, Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 16\u201026."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b11","unstructured":"Election Commission of India (2009a), Candidate List, available at: http:\/\/eci.nic.in\/candidateinfo\/frmcandidate.aspx (accessed April 17, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b12","unstructured":"Election Commission of India (2009b), Political Parties and Symbols, available at: http:\/\/eci.nic.in\/ElectoralLaws\/OrdersNotifications\/symbols170309.pdf (accessed April 2, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b13","unstructured":"Election Commission of India (2009c), Press Note General Elections\u20102009, available at: http:\/\/eci.nic.in\/press\/current\/pn020309.pdf (accessed April 1, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Flanagin, A.J. and Metzger, M.J. (2007), \u201cThe role of site features, user attributes, and information verification behaviours on the perceived credibility of web\u2010based information\u201d, Vol. 9, p. 319, New Media and Society.","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444807075015"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b15","unstructured":"Gownder, J.P. (2003), \u201cAn online revolution? I don't see it\u201d, The Washington Post, 6 July, p. B01."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hara, N. and Jo, Y. (2007), \u201cInternet politics: a comparative analysis of US and South Korea presidential campaigns\u201d, First Monday, Vol. 12 No. 9, available at: http:\/\/firstmonday.org\/issues\/issue12_9\/hara\/index.html (accessed September 2007).","DOI":"10.5210\/fm.v12i9.2005"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b17","unstructured":"Hong, C. (2005), \u201cNew political tool: text messaging\u201d, Christian Science Monitor, June 30, 2005, available at: www.csmonitor.com\/2005\/0630\/p13s01\u2010stct.html (accessed April 7, 2011)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b18","unstructured":"Internet and Mobile Association of India (2009), Press Release: 45 Million Internet Users in India, Tuesday 27 January, 2009 \u2013 IAMAI, available at: www.iamai.in\/PRelease_detail.aspx?nid=1801&NMonth=1&NYear=2009 (accessed May 10, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b19","unstructured":"Internet World Stats (2010), Top 20 Countries With the Highest Number of Internet Users, available at: www.Internetworldstats.com\/top20.htm (accessed 28 October, 2010)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jackson, N. (2007), \u201cPolitical parties, the Internet and the 2005 General Election: third time lucky?\u201d, Internet Research, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 249\u201071.","DOI":"10.1108\/10662240710758911"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jackson, N. and Lilleker, D.G. (2010), \u201cTentative steps towards interaction: the use of the Internet in the British European Parliament Election 2009\u201d, Internet Research, Vol. 20 No. 5.","DOI":"10.1108\/10662241011084103"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b22","unstructured":"Jacobs, D. (2005), \u201cInternet activism and democratic emergency in the US\u201d, Ephemera: Theory and Politics in Organization, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 68\u201077."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kapor, M. and Weitzner, D. (2010), \u201cDeveloping the national communications and information infrastructure\u201d, Internet Research, Vol. 20 No. 4.","DOI":"10.1108\/10662241011059435"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kerbel, M. and Bloom, J. (2005), \u201cBlog for America and civic involvement\u201d, Harvard International Journal of Press\/Politics, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 3\u201027.","DOI":"10.1177\/1081180X05281395"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b25","unstructured":"Kluvar, R., Jankowski, N.W., Foot, K.A. and Schneider, S.M. (Eds.) (2007), The Internet and National Elections: A comparative Study of Web Campaigning, Routledge, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b26","unstructured":"Ladner, A. and Nadig, G. (2008), \u201cE\u2010tools for civic education: experiences from the election campaign in Switzerland 2007\u201d, paper presented at the Civic Education and Political Participation Workshop at the Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al; 17\u201019 June, 2008; Montreal, Canada, available at: www.crcee.umontreal.ca\/pdf\/wp_Montr%C3%A9al_Civic_Education_final_7_6_2008.pdf (accessed on July 27, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Latimer, C. (2011), \u201cUnderstanding the complexity of the digital divide in relation to the quality of House campaign web sites in the United States\u201d, New Media & Society, Vol. 11 No. 6, pp. 1023\u201040.","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444809336553"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b28","unstructured":"Macnamara, J. (2007), E\u2010Electioneering \u2013 Use of New Media in the 2007 Australian Federal Election, a report prepared by Australian Centre for Public Communication, University of Sydney, p. 12."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b29","unstructured":"Mallya, V. (2009), \u201cPersonal interview taken on April 16, 2009, at 4.45 pm to 6.00 pm\u201d, Mallya was main co\u2010ordinator of Dr Mallika Sarabhai's web site."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Malouf, R. and Mullen, T. (2008), \u201cTaking sides: user classification for informal online political discourse\u201d, Internet Research, Vol. 18 No. 2.","DOI":"10.1108\/10662240810862239"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b31","unstructured":"Mohan, R. (2005), \u201cHow India's .IN Domain Rouses from its Slumber\u201d, an article published on CircleId. The author led the technical team that helped re\u2010launch the .IN domain name in 2005, as part of a registry service offered by the author's employer \u2018Afilias\u2019 to the Indian government and \u2018NIXI\u2019, available at: www.circleid.com\/posts\/how_indias_in_domain_rouses_from_its_slumber\/ (accessed 28 October, 2010)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b32","unstructured":"Munde, G. (2009), \u201cHis message on the home page of his web site\u201d, available at: www.gopinathmunde.com\/ (accessed on May 1, 2009)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Norris, P. (2000), \u201cInformation poverty and the wired world\u201d, The Harvard International Journal of Press\/Politics, Vol. 5 No. 1.","DOI":"10.1177\/1081180X00005003001"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b34","unstructured":"Patel, N. (2009), \u201cPersonal interview taken on April 17, 2009, at 10.30 am to 11.00 am\u201d. He was the web site coordinator of the web site of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b35","unstructured":"Press Information Bureau, Government of India (2011), \u201cA reply given by Mr Sachin Pilot, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in response to a question in Parliament\u201d, available at: http:\/\/pib.nic.in\/newsite\/erelease.aspx?relid=71124 (accessed April 5, 2011)."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b36","unstructured":"Rogers, E.M. (1995), Diffusion of Innovations, The Free Press, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Schweitzer, E.J. (2005), \u201cElection campaigning online: German party web sites in the 2002 national elections\u201d, European Journal of Communication, Vol. 20 No. 327, available at: http:\/\/ejc.sagepub.com\/cgi\/content\/abstract\/20\/3\/327.","DOI":"10.1177\/0267323105055261"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b38","unstructured":"Smith, A. and Rainie, L. (2008), The Internet and the 2008 Election, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Washington, DC."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Steel, B.S., Pierce, J.C. and Lovrich, N.P. (1998), \u201cPublic information campaigns and \u2018at\u2010risk\u2019 voters\u201d, Political Communication, Vol. 15, pp. 117\u201033.","DOI":"10.1080\/105846098199154"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Strandberg, K. (2009), \u201cOnline campaigning: an opening for the outsiders? An analysis of Finnish parliamentary candidates' web sites in the 2003 election campaign\u201d, New Media and Society, Vol. 11 No. 835.","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444809105355"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b41","unstructured":"Tekwani, S. and Shetty, K. (2007), \u201cTwo Indias \u2013 the role of the Internet in 2004 elections\u201d, in Kluvar, R., Jankowski, N.W., Foot, F.A. and Schneider, S.M. (Eds), The Internet and National Elections: A Comparative Study of Web Campaigning, Routledge, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vaccari, C. (2008a), \u201cResearch note: Italian parties' web sites in the 2006 elections\u201d, European Journal of Communication, Vol. 23 No. 69, available at: http:\/\/ejc.sagepub.com\/cgi\/content\/abstract\/23\/1\/69.","DOI":"10.1177\/0267323107085839"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vaccari, C. (2008b), \u201cFrom the air to the ground: the Internet in the 2004 US presidential campaign\u201d, New Media & Society, Vol. 10 No. 647.","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444808093735"},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b44","unstructured":"Valelly, R.M. (1993), \u201cPublic policy for reconnected citizenship\u201d, in Ingram, H. and Rathgeb Smith, S. (Eds), Public Policy for Democracy, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC."},{"key":"key2022031019430968600_b45","unstructured":"Yadav, S. (2009), \u201cPersonal interview on April 18, 2009, at 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm\u201d. He was the Chief Convenor of the IT unit of BJP Gujarat."}],"container-title":["Internet Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/10662241111158317","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/10662241111158317\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/10662241111158317\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T23:40:31Z","timestamp":1753400431000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/intr\/article\/21\/4\/435-457\/178486"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,12]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/10662241111158317"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/10662241111158317","relation":{},"ISSN":["1066-2243"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"1066-2243"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,12]]}}}