MCD polls: Facebook, WhatsApp now play key roles

New Delhi: Breaking from traditional methods, social media is playing a huge role in the civic polls. Using WhatsApp groups to maximise outreach to conducting Facebook live sessions and even hiring public relations agencies, the parties in the fray are leaving no stone unturned to reach out to the target audience. Touted to be a triangular contest with BJP, Congress, and AAP as the major contenders, the civic polls to be held on April 23 have gone bigger with JD (U), BSP, Yogendra Yadv led Swaraj India, and Samajwadi Party in the fray.

Learning from the success of online and social media campaigns ahead of the 2014 general elections, Delhi BJP has formed a dedicated team to take on political rivals in the virtual world. This dedicated team of volunteers, apart from defending BJP, are also attacking their rivals belligerently. Sources in the party said that things have changed since the last civic polls. “Ground campaigning will play an important role. But this year, for the first time in the civic polls, online battles are also being fought,” said a BJP leader.

To take on the rivals in the virtual world, the saffron party’s dedicated team monitors and decides the party’s strategy for online and social media. The team sends its report to the central leadership. The party’s social media team has already taken charge to expose its main opponent, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), during its campaigns. The social media team has also formed more than 1,000 WhatsApp groups and is reporting to the central leadership about online trends and social media interactions regularly. A senior party leader said that the campaigning style has changed over the years and now online campaign is also an important part of the election strategy of the political parties and candidates. “For the first time, the civic polls in the national capital will be fought in the virtual world, and every party is taking it seriously. Now online campaign is an important part of the entire poll strategy,” he added.

AAP, which is making its debut in the municipal polls in the city, has been able to connect with over one lakh people in the past one week on its WhatsApp number – 8588833400.

The party feels that things have undergone a drastic change since the last MCD election in 2012 and social media is integral to the election campaigning, which will end on April 21. “It will be foolish of any political party to not take social media seriously,” Ankit Lal, AAP’s head of the IT wing, said.