Congress embraces new social media strategy for ensuing Assembly polls in five states

The Congress will set up booth-level teams, which will make good use of WhatsApp and other social media platforms, to counter the BJP with facts and highlight the grand old party’s social welfare guarantees in those states where they are at the helm, writes ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri

New Delhi: The Congress has planned a new social media strategy for the upcoming polls in five states where the grand old party hopes to take on the BJP. According to party insiders, the grand old party has been toning up its social media presence over the past few months and was ahead of the BJP on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube since January, barring April.

The coming five state polls in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, to be held later this year, are crucial as the contests will be followed by the 2024 general elections. Out of five, the Congress directly fights the BJP in three states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Out of these three, the BJP rules in MP while the Congress is at the helm in the other two states.

The Congress is close to the BJP in Instagram where it hopes to overtake the saffron party in the ensuing five states polls. However, the real concern for the grand old party is WhatsApp where it is focusing most of its energies. As part of the plan, the Congress will set up booth-level teams, which will make good use of WhatsApp groups, and exploit other social media platforms to counter the BJP with facts and figures. At the same time, these teams will highlight the Congress social welfare guarantees in the respective states.

Keeping that in mind, Congress plans to ensure greater coordination between the social media teams of the AICC, which have been more aggressive under Supriya Shrinate over the past year, and those of the state units to maximise the impact of party campaigns. “A lot of issues have been discussed about how to sharpen our narrative in these election-bound states. In two of the states, we have our governments there. So, how do we ensure smoother coordination between the organisation and the government in these two states and how do we ensure proper coordination between the PCCs and the AICC with a view of communication and social media, Congress media head Pawan Khera told ETV Bharat.

“AICC in charge of organisation KC Venugopal has given constructive suggestions to ensure that the attack on the BJP is sharpened and there should be a very seamless coordination between the AICC and the states,” he added. According to party insiders, while the states will toe the AICC line in matters related to the Central government on issues concerning the state appropriate responses both in English and Hindi or the regional language will be launched after due consultation between the two teams. The respective state in charge will be held responsible if any social media post goes against the party line, the insiders said.

The five state polls this year will allow the grand old party to further test its social media strategies and allow space for some corrections, if needed, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Just like the “40 per cent commission Sarkar” campaign against the former BJP government in Karnataka, Congress will launch a “50 per cent commission government” series against the saffron party in Madhya Pradesh to play up the corruption issue.

Also, like Karnataka, where Rahul and Priyanka’s five social welfare guarantees related to free power, free bus ride for women, free rations, unemployment allowance and women’s allowance, played a key role in the Congress win, the party will publicise the promises being made by the Gandhi siblings in Madhya Pradesh. In Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the grand old party will highlight the achievements of the Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel governments respectively.