Personality Cult and Populism: A Case Study from the Global South

The concept of the cult of personality has assumed much relevance in the twenty-first century, quite contrary to the expectation that with technological revolution and globalization, more objective and rational political culture and participation would be the norm, and the former concept would cease to exist as a decisive factor of the polities of the modern nation-states. Here, this concept is mapped through its emergence and evolution in the modern world with a focus on the myriad dimensions it assumes in contemporary Indian politics. The phenomena of the rise of personality cults can be analyzed across the political spectrum as a powerful denominator, not only in the electoral performances of political parties but also in the overall societal transformation catalyzed by the hegemonic presence of social media.