JOIN USThe State BJP is planning to make extensive use of the new media to reach out to voters as part of its political campaign for the forthcoming Assembly polls.
The plan is to showcase the achievements of the government during the last five years via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. ‘Google hangout’ sessions with Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, State president Pralhad Joshi and party leaders S Suresh Kumar, C T Ravi among others is on the cards. Special interviews with these leaders will also be hosted on the YouTube.
Channamallikarjun Patil, state convenor, BJP Communication Cell and head of Hi-tech Media Campaign said: “Technology is becoming the game changer in fighting elections. At present, there are 22 lakh internet connections in the State with 48 per cent confined to towns and villages alone. We plan to reach out to this large section of online population through Twitter and Facebook.”
A platform has already been set for online campaigning. The BJP Twitter page has 6,000 followers, the highest among any political party in Karnataka. “We plan to relaunch our Facebook page next Monday. On an average, more than 10,000 people visit our Facebook page every day,” Patil said.
The BJP broke the news of the expulsion of Excise Minister M P Renukacharya on Twitter much before television channels started flashing the same paving way for thousands of responses.
“Twitter users are research-oriented. We cannot just make some comment and get away,” Patil pointed out.
The party will also be webcasting major poll rallies. A voice-based SMS campaign wherein Shettar will be appealing to people to vote for BJP will commence soon.
To target young voters
At the same time, the Youth Wing of the party is ready with two campaigns ahead of the polls.
For any young voter, their first participation in elections is a memorable one. The youth wing is all set to encash the enthusiasm among first-time voters by forming teams in all the 224 Assembly constituencies to try and convince them to vote for the BJP.
The teams, each comprising around 50 to 60 members, have already started scrutinising the voters list for first time voters. “We plan to meet young voters and share with them the party’s ideology, the importance of good governance and administration,” says BJP Yuva Morcha State President V Sunil Kumar.
Kumar said each Assembly constituency, on an average, has around 30,000 to 40,000 voters in the age group of 18 to 24. Armed with campaign material, the teams will station themselves outside college campuses and hubs frequented by youth.
“The youth of today are particularly interested in national issues. We plan to discuss national issues and how the UPA government is handling them. The discussions will be kept friendly and informal,” he said. Once the BJP finalises the candidates, members of the youth wing will take up door-to-door campaigning.