On a day when the Congress launched its campaigning for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh with a three-day bus yatra, its Chief Ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit made her debut on Twitter. In her first tweet, Ms Dikshit sought support for the yatra, named “ 27 saal U.P. behaal ,”( U.P. in doldrums for 27 years) though she joined the social networking site three years ago.
The slogan is a reference to the number of years the Congress has been out of power in the most populous and politically significant State.
The three-time Delhi Chief Minister tweeted: “As we start our #27SaalUPBehal Yatra, I seek your support and blessings.” By Saturday afternoon, she had over 1,200 followers, while she followed 25, including the PMO. The official handle of the U.P. Congress promoted Ms. Dikshit on Twitter indicating that the Congress would utilise social media to send across its electoral message in the State where it is on the margins.
The leaders will address meetings and hold road shows along the way. They will halt in Moradabad on the first day, while on Sunday they will hold a programme in Shahjahanpur before winding up in Kanpur.
While Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party’s face in 2017, is active on social media and is known for his sharp political tweets, BSP chief Mayawati has no presence on it. However, her party volunteers run a few unofficial accounts. The BJP does not have CM candidate yet but its leaders and spokespersons are all active on social media.
