Social media is all set to be an important tool in the electoral strategy of the BJP for the 2019 lok Sabha elections in UP. The party has decided to deploy at least two ‘cyber warriors’ on each of the 1.3 lakh polling booths across 80 lok Sabha seats of the State.
Around 2.6 lakh ‘cyber warriors’ were likely to be mobilised by the BJP in the next two months. Out of a total of 1.47 lakh polling booths in UP , the BJP has so far set up booth committees on 1.30 lakh booths. These committees will have 21 members including president, vice-president and general secretary.
Each ‘cyber warrior’ will be armed with smart phone and would be imparted training in Information technology.
For the 2019 lok Sabha poll, the BJP has set a target of winning 74 seats with a vote share of 51%. In the 2014 lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 73 seats while two seats were bagged by its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal).
During his visit to Varanasi on July 4, BJP president Amit Shah held a long meeting with social media volunteers drawn from across the state.
A BJP leader said, “There is a dark zone in UP which is beyond the reach of TV and newspaper. The party can reach out to the electorates there only through social media and our cyber warriors would be the medium to reach out to these 30 per cent booths and apprise people about the achievements of the Central and state governments.”
The recent two-day visit of the BJP chief to UP has boosted the state party organisation to prepare itself for the crucial 2019 general elections. Shah had met party leaders of all six regions during his interactive sessions in Mirzapur and Agra on July 4 and 5. Shah president instructed that all 46 cells, 17 departments and 9 morchas of the party at the district level should gear up by July end.
As the BJP was planning to launch the lok Sabha poll campaign by September-October, the party brass wants that the entire organisation at the ground level was functional by that time.
State BJP general secretary and in-charge of western UP, Vijay Bahadur Pathak said on Saturday that the party president was satisfied with the organisational preparation in the state before the polls during his meetings.
“BJP workers are enthused over Shah’s visit, who has instructed that all district level teams of all cells, morchas and departments be completed by the month end,” Pathak said.