GURUGRAMWith substantial increase in social media users, especially the youth, since the last Assembly polls in Haryana in 2014, the online campaign has become an important tool for electioneering in the State this time around. Though the political parties in the State have presence across different social media platforms, Facebook and WhatsApp have emerged as the most popular mediums.
The increase in the video content with live telecast of rallies on Twitter and Facebook is the latest trend in Haryana Assembly elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party seems to be way ahead of its political opponents in the State measured in terms of followers to its party pages and leaders.
BJP Haryana (IT cell) Head Arun Yadav told The Hindu that the party had 18,900 WhatsApp groups created for around 19,000 polling booths. “Around 28 lakh party workers are connected with these WhatsApp groups. We can connect with these 28 lakh people in less than 30 minutes though these groups. We provide them good quality videos, graphics and other content to be spread in their area,” said Mr. Yadav. The party State unit has a team of around 500 people in the IT cell, with an average of 30 people in each district, besides the volunteers.
Congress believed in workers-driven social media campaign over the “paid campaign”, said Chairman, INC Social Media, Rohan Gupta, adding that the party had conducted workshops to encourage its workers to propagate the messages on social media platforms. “Earlier Congress had a fragmented approach towards social media. Individual leaders had their own social media pages, but there was little stress on the party’s account. It is changing now,” said Mr. Gupta.
Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), another important player in Haryana’s politics, too has a lot of emphasis on social media campaign.The party has a 15-member team to create, analyse and approve the content for social media and 150-odd WhatsApp groups
JJP spokesperson Deep Kamal Saharan said the party had strong presence on social media with its leader and former Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala having more than 7 lakh followers on Facebook. and other leaders including, Digvijay Chautala and Naina Chautala also having presence on Facebook.
“All the important rallies are telecast live on Mr. Dushyant Chautala’s Facebook page. We have not placed any advertisement in the print media so far,” said Mr. Saharan.
Focus areas
While the BJP has its social media campaign focused on the clean image of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the party’s claims of transparent and corruption-free governance, the Congress propagates messages mostly revolving around the achievements of the previous Congress governments in the State and its manifesto. “People need to vote on issues which concern them in their daily lives. We are talking about those issues,” said Mr. Gupta.
Mr. Saharan said that JJP, besides reminding the electorate about its promises, stressed upon the failures of the BJP.
The BJP preferred to create publicity material on social media keeping in mind the language of the area, like the messages along the Grand Trunk Road belt, comprising Karnal, Panipat, Ambala and Kurukshetra, were mostly in Punjabi. Mr. Yadav said the party’s social media campaign also gets support from its celebrity candidates such as wrestlers Babita Phogat and Yogeshwar Dutt and hockey player Sandeep Singh.
