Ahead of polls, Cong revamps publicity wing

With general elections barely nine months away, the Congress has laid down an ambitious plan to give a facelift to its communications and publicity system. This includes, among other steps, appointing more professional agencies for managing its campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. Saubhadra Chatterji reports.

With general elections barely nine months away, the Congress has laid down an ambitious plan to give a facelift to its communications and publicity system. This includes, among other steps, appointing more professional agencies for managing its campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.

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With the party brass craving for more aggressive campaign machinery, the communications wing, for the first time, will also be given a dedicated space in the party’s ‘war room’ at 15, Gurdwara Rakabganj Road. The move is aimed towards a better coordination with the party’s think tank.

During the recent organizational reshuffle of the Congress, Delhi MP and former Union minister Ajay Maken was give the charge of the communications department, replacing Janardan Dwivedi.

In another major move in the campaign front, the Congress plans to hire at least eight professional agencies to prepare its campaign material for the polls. In the last two elections, Percept Communications and JWT had handled the lion’s share of the job.

This time a plan is afoot to involve more agencies and each of them will be given the responsibility of some states.

The party has also streamlined another front: “By 5 o’clock, the party-appointed people for TV channels inform the communications department in which channel they will appear along with the topic of discussion.

Accordingly, background notes are prepared and sent to them. This ensures uniformity in tackling issues,” said a top leader.