Use of Twitter by Maha ministers slows down
The extensive use of social media, especially Twitter, by BJP leaders during poll campaigns has slowly slipped into simple re-tweets and greetings in the case of most ministers in Maharashtra.
As the BJP-led state government is set to complete its three years in office, a close look at the ministers’ Twitter handles shows that they have largely become one-way communication, just like any other government department.
Except for a few accounts, including that of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a couple of his cabinet colleagues, the rest of the Twitter handles are used mostly to post greetings, occasional wishes and tweeting their own department’s news and photographs.
Many times, it is limited to uploading photographs of their own news which have already appeared in newspapers.
This is happening at a time when politicians, especially the new generation leaders, are taking increasingly to the micro-blogging site as a medium of direct dialogue with people.
For instance, Suresh Prabhu, when he was railway minister, not only used his official Twitter handle extensively but also made every division and over 20 regions of the Railways set up their own Twitter handles and use them to address passengers’ grievances.
In Maharashtra, finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, rural development minister Pankaja Munde and school education and higher and technical education minister Vinod Tawde occasionally use their Twitter accounts. But hardly any other minister uses the medium to interact with people.
Most others end up retweeting the posts of the Chief Minister’s Office and the Prime Minister’s Office. The rest of their tweets are either wishes or greetings during the religious and cultural occasions.
The BJP functionaries in the state, especially those in the party’s communication wing, are concerned about the slowing down in the use of social media by ministers to convey to people the work being done by the government.
“We always wanted these Twitter handles to operate as voice of the BJP, in the digital world,” a senior leader from the state BJP, who does not want to be identified, told PTI.
“The ministers should interact with people, solve their issues, look at the information or problems they are sharing. It is the most economical way of communicating with people. It is unfortunate that, despite discussing the matter with senior state BJP leaders, the handles are largely ineffective,” he said.
“The regular and controlled use of such digital media also helps in building an image of the party. The rural parts are also having fairly good internet connectivity and people do use smart phones for various works. We want people to use the media for constructive work as well by sharing photos and information with twitter handles,” the leader said.
Twitter handles are subtle and their intelligent use helps the party to strengthen its identity and ideology. A quick response, say to a social development, helps in controlling the damage. Unfortunately, very few understand it and implement accordingly, a senior party official said.
While most of the ministers do not use their Twitter handles effectively, two ministers do not have Twitter accounts at all.
The story is not different in the case of Shiv Sena ministers as well. While the party leader in the Assembly Eknath Shinde is comparatively active and posts several updates of his ministry—PWD (public undertakings) and occasionally party line as well on Twitter, the other Sena ministers use their Twitter accounts mostly for re-tweeting their news or posting greetings and wishes.