Within an hour of its announcement, Mamata Banerjee’s “first-ever live Facebook chat” announcement is a hit and the page is filled with both congratulatory and critical messages. The announcement had nearly 5000 likes, 500 shares and 300 comments within an hour of its launch on Monday evening.
The announcement on her Facebook page- ‘Didi is coming online!’- carries a photograph of Ms Banerjee on a sky blue backdrop. It says that on Wednesday evening, at 8.30 pm, Ms. Banerjee will initiate a live chat, for the first time. While most of the social media followers of Ms. Banerjee congratulated her for connecting with her fans on social media, many have also asked uncomfortable questions.
“Tell me Ms Banerjee,” writes one Dibyojyoti Mukheree, “…if I ask some pointed questions jeta te apni [which] could be uncomfortable…will I then be branded as a Maoist or some kind of criminal?” Mr Mukherjee’s comment also received plenty of likes on Ms Banerjee’s page.
Many, however, has forwarded their requests to energise certain sectors, if she wins in 2016. “She has done a lot for human [development] index [and] now in the next five years will be for agriculture and food processing,” said Roy Neel.
“Great branding! It would be interesting to find out how Ms. Banerjee and her media team handles the questions live on Wednesday,” said another of Ms. Banerjee’s Facebook followers.
