Lok Sabha Elections 2019: As polls near, political parties’ war rooms get into action mode

There was a time when the workers of various parties used to run from one booth to another with messages for their cadre during elections which was a tedious process and the sometimes the information lost relevance in transit.

There was a time when the workers of various parties used to run from one booth to another with messages for their cadre during elections which was a tedious process and the sometimes the information lost relevance in transit.

Most political parties have set up digital war rooms to connect to their party cadre and people. (HT Photo)

However, the process has now been replaced by social media and most political parties have set up digital war rooms to connect to their party cadre and people.

With the main weapons being WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, poll campaign has started on a war footing.

BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY

Taking the lead, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had set up its war room at the district party office in Bareilly about six months ago.

“We have a team of about a dozen tech savvy youths who work in shifts. We have also provided smart phones to five party workers each at booth level,” Shushil Mittal, social media coordinator of Bareilly region, said.

“While the information related to candidates and publicity at local and district level is shared on WhatsApp, the content for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram is provided from Lucknow, New Delhi and Ahmedabad,” he added.

Mittal said the head office of the war room in Uttar Pradesh was at the party’s office in Lucknow. “Soon, a meeting of digital volunteers will be organised at district level,” Mittal said.

SAMAJWADI PARTY-BAHUJAN SAMAJ PARTY

Though a joint war room (of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party) has been set up at the Samajwadi Party’s office in Bareilly, the party workers are relying on the WhatsApp groups being operated at booth level.

The war room is mainly being used to share the messages, being provided by the party’s headquarters in Lucknow, on the social media.

“Our party workers work round-the-clock and keep upgrading the information on WhatsApp. We also hold regular meetings with them and share the dos and don’ts and other ideas,” district president of SP Quadir Ahmed said.

CONGRESS

The Congress is also relying on its booth-level WhatsApp groups and its war room is being used only for posting content that is being provided from Delhi.

“We have various WhatsApp groups at zonal, sector, sub-sector and booth levels. Information is circulated through these groups and a professional at our war room at the party office keeps an eye on the content being shared,” Anwar Hussain, IT in-charge of Bareilly region, said.