Push for virtual rallies amid Covid spread ahead of polls
BJP sets up ‘IT warroom’, Congress to hold ‘webinar rallies’
DEHRADUN: The ruling BJP and main opposition Congress have started their preparations for holding virtual campaigning for the February 14 state assembly polls after the election commission banned physical rallies and campaign till January 15 over a fresh spike in Covid-19 cases.
The BJP, which has been the most active on the virtual platforms among all other parties in the recent years, has decided to deploy one IT expert in each of the 70 constituencies in the state to manage virtual campaign events and to reach out to as many voters as possible.
BJP state general secretary Kuldeep Kumar said, “Adapting to it (virtual mode), is not a big task for the party as it has been already focusing on the maximum and effective utilisation of the social media in reaching out to people.”
“Under the plan, the BJP has decided to deploy one IT expert in each of the 70 assembly constituencies. They will be responsible to look after the virtual events held by party leaders in their respective constituencies,” said Kumar.
The senior BJP leader also said his party was going to set up a “state IT war room” in Dehradun soon as part of its preparations for the state polls.
“Under that, a studio will also be set up in party state headquarters in Dehradun with a seating capacity for two leaders. The leaders will use the studio to hold virtual addresses for the people in various constituencies. The war room will also be responsible to connect the national leaders’ virtual rallies with the Dehradun centre from where it would be spread to the people by sharing links of the same,” said Kumar. “The party is fully ready to hold virtual campaign events ahead of assembly elections.”
The Congress is also carrying out its preparations for virtual rallies in the state amid a ban on physical ones by the EC. The party was “already anticipating a ban on the physical rallies with the rise in Covid-19 cases”.
“Before the ban was announced by the EC, we were already anticipating it due to the Covid-19 resurge. Hence, our members of the IT team were already preparing for the virtual rallies,” said Amarjeet Singh, Congress state social media cell coordinator.
Singh said, “As part of the preparations, we would be holding webinar rallies of our leaders which would be available for the people on various social media platforms. Similarly, we would also put LED screens in the assembly constituencies to feature the virtual addresses of our leaders to reach out to the people.”
On the challenges to reach out to people living in areas with connectivity issues, he said, “Party would form a team of 6-8 members who would physically visit the households in those areas and hand them party campaign materials to convey the party’s message for them.”
Political analyst SMA Kazmi said: “There is no doubt that the ruling BJP will be at advantage than other parties considering the kind of resources they have. No other party has been able to use the social media in the recent years as it has. It has got experts to handle and manage the virtual activities of the party for long.”