Vignesh is a Political Science and Public Policy PhD holder from the King’s India Institute, King’s College London. In his doctoral thesis, he explored the role of political parties in converting socio-cultural movements into sustainable party politics in the Indian Ocean region. His research spans multiple disciplines, including political science, public policy, sociology, and business studies. He has over 5 years of professional experience in public policy, legislative research, and political consulting.
He has provided consultancy for India’s principal national opposition party for multiple provincial elections between 2015 and 2018. In the 2019 General Elections he worked on the party’s election manifesto and the largest universal income support scheme which is now being implemented at the provincial level in a few states. Subsequently, he crafted election strategy and state development plans for two regional parties across three states in the 2021 and 2022 provincial elections in India. The income support schemes have also been implemented in two out of the three states.
He is a research affiliate at the King’s India Institute, where he co-leads the Social Media Networks and (Dis)information in Global South research group. He is also a postdoctoral affiliate at the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests include public policy, politics of mobilisation, democratic development, the interplay between domestic politics and foreign policy, and the dynamics of social media. He is also the coordinator of ‘Confronting Caste‘, a seminar and podcast series from the King’s India Institute.
At KITLV, Vignesh is working alongside the PI Professor Ward Berenschot on the ‘Costs of democracy: The political economy of campaign finance’ project, to study the campaign finance practices in India and Indonesia.
Selected Publications
The Dravidian pathway: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the politics of transition in South India. Hurst London & Oxford University Press New York, 2025. (forthcoming book)
With Sarthak Bagchi, Anand Mehra, and Navya Singh, ‘Decoding Haryana’s political landscape’, The Hindu. 1 October 2024.
With Anand Mehra, ‘Why Haryana’s Dalit politicians are still struggling to assert their leadership’, The Hindu. 1 October 2024.
With Sarthak Bagchi, Anand Mehra, and Navya Singh, ‘Why every party is mobilising Dalit support’, The Hindu. 2 October 2024.
With Manuraj Shanmugasundaram, ‘Keep the fire of the self-respect movement going’, The Hindu. 28 September 2024.
With Anushree Rai, ‘Beyond the ballot: Unpacking the potential of Odisha’s women SHG-Led political mobilisation’, The Wire. 27 August 2024.
‘Pawan Kalyan’s political ascent signifies the consolidation of the Kapu Vote’, The Wire. 22 July 2024.
With Chandra Sekhar Vadigalla, ‘Welfare, voters, and political mobilisation in Andhra Pradesh’, The Hindu. 19 June 2024.
With Vihang Jumle. ‘Twitter and the projection of political personalities in India’, Commonwealth & Comparative Politics. 9 June 2024.
With Christophe Jaffrelot and Hemal Thakker, Explainer Series India 2050: Facing new challenges: The challenge of food security, Institut Montaigne. Paris: 2024.
