Techies, data analysts set for windfall as poll-time demand booms

Holistic approach to the hustings

With elections around the corner, the demand for people who can run a campaign, policy experts, political scientists, graphic designers and social media managers is on the rise. Techies and data analysts, in particular, have a new stream to venture into.

“Prior to 2012, political consultancy was mostly limited to opinion polling and choosing an accurate sample of the population and surveying for potential candidates,” says Avinash Gowda, political strategist and public policy analyst. Gowda himself was in the IT sector almost, before he switched to political consultancy two decades ago.

Campaigns run by strategists such as Prashant Kishor lent shape to the industry, professionalising it, Gowda says.

Five to six years ago, an ecosystem embedded with legal, research, technology, graphic design, social media and policy professionals was created.

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Prashant Kanagal, state president of the JD(S) Information Technology wing, says people with social media presence or a specific expertise are approached when ideologies align.

“We survey our volunteers for their education and interests and after a round of screening, we either hire them on a freelance or full-time basis,” says Kanagal.

During election season, this means that working professionals who otherwise volunteer with political parties take sabbatical from work to contribute to the campaign.

A social media volunteer who helps JD(S) with content part time and works full time for a leading software firm explains that it was an interest in regionalism and a social media presence which led him to join the communications wing of JD(S).

“I dedicate two to three hours daily to the party. I am also able to work more during weekends,” he says.

Some IT employees opt for sabbaticals or even quit their jobs to meet the demand and earn additional income.

A source in the Indian National Congress says while these volunteers may work part time, they are engaged at the booth or ward level as they are most likely to create impact there.

“A more permanent set of professionals are able to deliver on needs more efficiently. These individuals are hired through a network or through recommendations. This allows for the party to trust them more,” he says.

Even associates, relatives, close friends and associates of party members are considered when the need for someone with a particular profile arises.

“Ultimately, ideologies and political interests also need to align for us to hire,” the source in Congress says.

Hiring a person full time, as a member of the party, also ensures accountability in a way that outsourcing consultancy agencies cannot, he adds.

Challenges

While the sphere is booming currently, there is reason to tread with caution.

“One thing we noticed is that most of the professionals hired currently are from privileged caste backgrounds. This informs their inputs,” says Gowda.

A lack of diversity in campaign management also means there is a lack of expertise or understanding of demographic voting patterns — such as caste, gender and other intersections and considerations — making it hard for such individuals to contextualise their ideologies.

“While there are professionals in various fields, there are not many places for them to train in these dynamics. This understanding is difficult to teach and perhaps cannot be taught,” he adds. The fluid nature of the field and its requirements itself makes it hard to find talent, he says.