Ahead of LS poll, Congress gears up for social media battle

Bengaluru, Oct 10: Social mediaplayed a major role in propelling the BJP to power in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, but the shoe could be on the other foot in 2019 if preparations by the Karnataka unit of Congress to combat the saffron party are anything to go by.

Six months ahead of the general election, the Congress, which appears to have learnt a lesson from 2014, has scaled up its social media presence. It is going hammer and tongs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticising his policies which leaders say has led to several issues including rising inflation, increasing costs of motor fuels and growing unemployment in the country.

The strident social media campaign has shaken the state BJP, despite the party’s dominance in digital propaganda over the past 10 years. The party is now being forced to devise innovative ways to counter the Congress. Statements and counter statements have already made the political atmosphere hot and the party aims to ratchet up the heat over the next few months.

“For over a year now, we have been working to increase the Congress’ digital presence and we have managed to accomplish it successfully,” said A N Natraj Gowda, head of the KPCC IT cell. “Over the next few months, our main task will be to highlight the misgovernance of the Modi government, counter fake news put out by BJP and thwart negativity aimed at the Congress.”

KPCC chief Dinesh Gundurao and law and parliamentary affairs minister Krishna Byregowda have been regularly posting comments, pictures, data and videos hitting out at what they call ‘development gone crazy’ under Modi.

Even on Tuesday, Byregowda put out a tweet saying, “One more gem from Gadkari”, tagging a link of Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s interview with the title “Modi government was built on false promises, says Gadkari” published in the Congress mouthpiece National Herald.

It’s not just Byregowda. All Congress ministers in the H D Kumaraswamy cabinet have been going hammer and tongs at BJP leaders and the policies of the central government, saying it has nothing concrete to show after four-and-half year of rule under Modi. The Congress ministers are being helped by a cyber army involving around 50 volunteers, who are constantly working on graphics, tweets and Facebook posts.

In a counter of sorts, BJP leaders are unfurling caustic remarks about the Congress-JD(S) alliance and about the state of affairs in Karnataka.

“It’s a (false) perception that the Congress has increased its presence in Karnataka,” said Balaji Sreenivas, state convener of BJP’s social media wing. “Their digital presence is only limited to a few Congress leaders and Bengaluru city. We have extended our coverage across all 28 Lok Sabha constituencies by opening cadre-based WhatsApp groups and putting up tweets/posts in Kannada.”