This study examines the digital contestation over West Papua during the 2019 and 2024 Indonesian elections by integrating Social Media Network Analysis (SMNA), the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), and in-depth qualitative interviews. The findings reveal a clear shift from collective to connective action among pro-independence actors, who increasingly rely on personalized storytelling, hybrid actor networks, and interdiscursive framing to sustain mobilization and amplify emotional resonance. Pro-NKRI narratives, by contrast, remain centrally managed and less adaptive to the affective and viral logics of platform-mediated communication. The CDA demonstrates that this asymmetry is embedded not only in network structure, but also in the use of delegitimization versus legitimization strategies and the framing of sovereignty claims. Comparative insights from Kashmir, Hong Kong, and the Rohingya crisis show that narrative dominance has become a core dimension of political power in the digital age rather than a secondary communicative activity. Theoretically, the study contributes to debates on digital sovereignty by linking connective action and affective publics with discursive contestation in postcolonial electoral settings. Methodologically, it advances an integrated approach that combines network metrics with discourse and interview analysis. Practically, the study underscores the need for hybrid communication strategies that blend institutional authority with algorithmic literacy and participatory storytelling. © 2025 Center for Asian Public Opinion Research and Collaboration Initiative. All rights reserved.