Party organisation and the strategic use of federal narratives in electoral campaigns: Evidence from Assam, India

This article examines how party organisation shapes the construction of federal narratives during electoral competition, drawing on fieldwork from the 2024 parliamentary elections in Assam, India. Using interviews, campaign speeches, and party materials, it compares four parties across two constituencies, Dhubri and Guwahati: the Indian National Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Asom Gana Parishad, and the All-India United Democratic Front. The findings show that parties construct representations of their relationship with the Centre within campaign discourse. These vary systematically with organisational form and constituency context, particularly across settings shaped by citizenship anxieties and urban governance concerns. The article argues that federalism functions as a conditional rhetorical resource, highlighting how party communication in multi-level systems is shaped by organisational capacity and local political conditions.