Political Communication in the Digital Era: The Enduring Influence of Madan Bhandari's Rhetoric on Social Media

The political rhetoric landscape has been reconfigured in the present era of social media and the internet, where virtual spaces have become central arenas for ideological struggles and the rapid diffusion of political thought. This article examines the enduring legacy of Madan Bhandari, one of the key figures in Nepal's political history, and explores how his richly nuanced rhetoric continues to influence public discourse in virtual spaces. By analyzing patterns of user engagement and interaction with Bhandari's political legacy online, this study investigates how his ideological contributions continue to shape public opinion. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines an in-depth literature review on political communication and digital media with social media metrics to gauge user involvement, alongside qualitative discourse analysis to account for the complexity of online deliberation. The findings strongly suggest that Bhandari’s rhetoric remains a powerful ideological reference point in Nepali political discourse, particularly resonating with younger generations and politically engaged netizens who reinterpret and recontextualize his ideas on social media platforms. This research argues that the digital environment not only preserves historical political thought but also enables its ongoing re-creation and contestation.