Didir Doot vs Modipara: It's battleground apps for West Bengal elections

As the polls draw closer, both the parties are pulling out all stops to gain the voters' confidence

As West Bengal heads to Assembly polls, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the emerging Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are fighting for power in the state with more than just speeches and roadshows. A competition is ensuing between apps floated by the two parties.

Modipara (meaning Modi’s neighbourhood) and Didir Doot (meaning Didi’s messenger) are competing for higher traction and users. Both the apps, which are in Bengali, have seen many downloads and registrations.

The Modipara was launched by Union Minister Amit Shah in his recent three-day visit to West Bengal, while the TMC rolled out Didir Doot on February 4.

The BJP is trying to make this app its one-stop destination for marketing and outreach campaigns to woo voters in each ‘para’ (neighbourhood). “We have got 1.8 lakh registered users on the app and the website of Modipara, and 3.5 lakh visits have been recorded,” Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT Cell head and co-in charge of West Bengal, told The Economic Times.

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Malviya added that over 50 per cent of the userbase of the app was people between 26 and 35 years of age. He also informed the publication that many women were signing onto the app.

The app allows direct sharing of information from the app onto social media and also has merchandise.

Meanwhile, the ruling TMC claims that the Didir Doot has over 1 lakh downloads. The app boasts of an interface that gives West Bengal residents all information related to the TMC government at their fingertips, even allowing for direct video streaming of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her events.

A brainchild of Prashant Kishor’s IPAC, the app has sections like Didir Sathe Kaj Karun (Work with Didi, work for Bengal), Didir Sathe Jukto Thakun (work together with Didi) and Didir Kotha Janun (Get the most recent information on Didi and her campaigns).