Social media key tool for campaign this election

New Delhi: Social media has been widely used as an electioneering tool in the run up to the Sunday’s civic poll in Delhi. Local Facebook and WhatsApp groups and Twitter’s effective reach, which is now increasingly being vetted by political parties, has turned the rules of contesting Delhi’s municipal polls on its head.

Delhi Congress has a pool of 40,000 active online volunteers, according to the party’s social media strategist Aniruddh Sharma. During the ticket distribution process, the party had asked ticket seekers to submit names and contact details of 200-250 local party workers, he said. In the past, the Aam Aadmi Party successfully used social media tools to garner support in the Assembly polls in December 2013 and February 2015.

In the run up to the civic polls, the AAP, BJP and Congress candidates are using local WhatsApp and Facebook groups to reach out to voters. Some are even allegedly using fake surveys to win votes. Facebook groups of religious sects, caste associations and gym goers are also being used to reach out to potential voters, said Mr Sharma.

One such survey, purportedly circulated by supporters of the BJP’s candidate from ward 10 S on WhatsApp, claims that BJP is getting 87 per cent votes, Congress, 13 per cent votes, AAP, 8 per cent votes and others, 2 per cent votes. It is interesting to note that the alleged survey gets its math wrong.

Facebook groups of religious sects, caste associations and gym goers are also being used to reach out to potential voters, said Mr Sharma. “Publicity materials sent by the party are forwarded to these online groups by our volunteers. Twitter is also used by the parties to target opinion makers. We are trying to keep our pitch simple and positive. Candidates are also doing their bit to generate support online,” he added