As Karnataka prepares for its upcoming assembly elections on May 10, 2023, social media campaigns are emerging as a powerful tool for citizens to voice their concerns and demand change from their elected representatives.
One such campaign that has gained significant traction in the state’s online space is #WakeUpKarnataka. The campaign focuses on highlighting the alleged failures of the incumbent BJP government and urging citizens to support a more inclusive, secular, and corruption-free Karnataka. The campaign claims to be against the BJP government for unparalleled corruption, deadly inflation, hate politics, exploitation of labor, deceiving oppressed communities, and violence against women, sexual minorities, and dalits. The campaign has gained popularity on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Talking about the campaign that seeks to ‘build a harmonious India’, Lingayat leader GB Patil said, “Mahakavi Kuvempu has described Karnataka as a garden of peaceful co-existence, that garden has fallen into the trap of communal forces”
Message by Padma Shri author Devanur Mahadeva
#eddelukarnataka gains traction online
What the campaign stands for
#eddelukarnataka is now a catchy song
The campaign does not support any particular political party
A press conference in support of the #wakeupkarnataka campaign was attended by noted citizens and intellectuals such as Ganesh Devy, Devanur Mahadeva and Tara Rao among many others.
Apart from #WakeUpKarnataka, another citizens’ collective, Bahutva Karnataka, has released a set of Report Cards holding the government and governance to account. In the words of the collective, “These report cards are intended to enable the public to not just hold the government to account but also to make an informed choice as they choose the next government.”
As citizens take to social media to demand change, it remains to be seen how much of an impact these campaigns will have on the election outcome. However, one thing is clear – citizens are no longer willing to remain silent and are using all available platforms to make their voices heard. The Karnataka assembly elections promise to be an exciting and transformative time for the state, with citizens at the forefront of the push for change.