Digital Media and Political Leadership: An Analysis of Prajarajyam & Janasena Parties

March 30, 2026

Digital Media and Political Leadership: An Analysis of Prajarajyam & Janasena Parties

Digital Media and Political Leadership:
An Analysis of Prajarajyam & Janasena Parties

[Dr S Swaroop Sirapangi holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad. Email: ssanthiswaroop@gmail.com]

Abstract:

In the South Indian Telugu region from kapu caste and from one particular family, two brothers emerged as successful film actors, i.e. Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan. Thus, both of them emerged from ‘digital’ entertainment domain. In the due course of time, these two brothers also aspired to succeed politically based on their gained sensational celebrity status and backed dominant Kapu caste base. Subsequently, they launched and led their political carriers under various political parties like Prajarajyam, Indian National Congress, and Janasena. In particular they launched Prajarajyam and Janasena parties to fulfill their aspirations. The paper provides an analysis of these two brothers and their parties from the domain of ‘digital phase in democracy’. Towards this end, the paper engages with a few persisting questions like: how to understand their political emergence, what are potential limitations in their leadership modes, why ‘digital democratic phase’ is not able to provide them full-fledged political victory, what kind of limitations they noted to their political leadership in digital phase? Finally, concludes by observing even after emerging from ‘digital base’ and operating during ‘digital political phase’, why their leadership is not fully successful so-far? Methodologically, the paper adopts a comparative analysis within the larger domain of democratic electoral discourse.

Keywords: Political Leadership, Kapu Caste, Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Prajarajyam, Janasena.

The above abstract based research paper was presented on the sidelines of a Two Day National Seminar on 'Indian Democracy and Elections in the Digital Era: Transformations and Challenges for Viskit Bharat 2047', organised and hosted by the Department of Political Science, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad, on 24 & 25 March 2026. Further details about this seminar can be found on:

https://www.academia.edu/165306718/Digital_Media_and_Political_Leadership_An_Analysis_of_Prajarajyam_and_Janasena_Parties

https://nationalseminardops.wordpress.com/

Some of the photos from this event are in the following mode:

Presentation in full-swing.

Keenly observed by the Chair and co-chair.

Presentation under progress.

A retired College principal from Political Science background posing me a question on the comparison between Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan in political dynamics.

Dr Ramanjaneyulu M from Political Science discipline and who is specialised in electoral studies posed me a question about electoral base of Pawan Kalyan and Janasena.