Social Media has brought transparency to individuals, businesses, and politicians alike. The immediacy and reach of social media means that news and information can go viral and be picked up by news organisations all over the world in a matter of minutes. And social media can impact the results of any politician’s campaign.
So, both the BJD and the Congress have decided to use the power of an expertly-crafted social media campaign.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, exhorting party workers to connect with the youth who constitute 42 per cent of the State’s population, on Monday said the new generation is using social media in a big way. He highlighted the need for party workers to engage in social media to communicate with youths. He was speaking at a workshop organised by the Biju Yuva Sampark Committee here.
On this occasion, Patnaik also inaugurated the BJD’s own website, which is meant to showcase the achievements of his Government in the last 13 years.
BJD leaders like MPs Baijayant Panda and Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, BJP leaders such as Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan are using social media extensively.
And a few days back, main Opposition party Congress launched a dedicated social media cell, which is aimed at wooing young voters. Party leader Abhinna Chandra Hota, an expert in social media campaign at the national level, is the chief of the Social Media Cell of the Pradesh Congress Committee with another social media-savvy youth leader
Dr Sasmit Patra as one of the members.The Congress team of social media would link the urban and rural youths through the new generation media links like Facebook, linkedIn and Twitter.
Observers believe that with the elections to the urban local bodies scheduled next month and the Assembly polls to be held early next year, the State’s major political parties do not want to lose out on the precious youth votes.
It may be noted that the use of social media has become important for politicians since US President Barrack Obama achieving success with suck links by changing the initial popular tide against him in his country during the last poll campaign for the post of President.
After Obama’s rewarding initiative, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi took up the social media drive and now several other Indian political leaders have started using this most favourite media for their benefits, said an IT expert.