Hiring professionals for an image makeover on social media can land the lok Sabha candidates in trouble. In a bid to regulate political and electoral use of social media, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to include the cost incurred by political parties on campaign through social media in the upcoming lok Sabha polls. This means, getting the social media managed through professionals would come under the scanner of the Election Commission.
The ECI has made it clear that the expenses for launching election campaigns on social media will have to be borne by the candidates and their parties. This expense will also be part of the final poll expenditure. Besides, the model code of conduct will also become applicable on the social media. The ECI has revised the expenditure allowance of lok Sabha candidates from Rs 0 lakh to Rs 70 lakh per candidate. Getting social media accounts managed by professionals can really add to politicians’ budget. Besides, the Model Code of Conduct will also become applicable on the social media.
Sources said services such as adding 500 followers on Twitter and 1,000 “likes” on Facebook pages, and managing “views” of up to five YouTube videos can cost anywhere between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4 lakh. However, this is the most basic package. Those who are looking for bigger numbers — on Twitter and on Facebook page — will have to shell out more money depending on the number of likes and followers. Besides these, there are additional services, such as writing web content, that can cost around Rs 3,000 for 500 words and speech-writing by a professional costs Rs 7,500-Rs 10,000 depending on the length of the speech. Phone calls, as part of campaigning for the candidate, can cost somewhere around Rs 3 per call with production.
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Dev has already made it clear that the electoral office will focus on spending on social media during campaigning. “If a candidate has accounts on telephone number, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, even apps, then the email id and the account information need to be intimated to the Election Commission of India. The candidates are required to file affidavits in Form 26 at the time of filing of nominations,” the ECI order said.
“For the sake of removing any ambiguity, it is directed that candidates and political parties should be included all expenditure on campaigning including expenditure on advertisement on social media, both for maintaining a correct account of expenditure and for submitting the statement of expenditure. This, among other things, should also include payments made to internet companies and websites for carrying advertisements and also campaign related operational expenditure on making of creative development of content, operational expenditure on salaries and wages paid to the team of workers, employed by such candidates and political parties to maintain their social media, accounts,” the order said.
It further stated that campaigning on the web should also require pre-certification from competent authorities. No political advertisement can be released to any Internet-based website, including social media sites without the pre-certification. This certificate is issued by the media certification and monitoring committees at the district and State level.
Just as a candidate and political parties have to file details of his or her expenditure in connection with the election, the order has stated that candidates and political parties will have to include all expenditure on advertisements on social media, payments made to internet companies and websites for carrying the advertisements, money paid for developing such content for the web, as well as salaries and wages paid to the team of workers employed by the candidates and parties to maintain the social media accounts.