After Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) successful use of social media platform and subsequent win in the Delhi elections, political parties even at the regional level have realised the reach of social media.
NCP
Taking the lead, city’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) cell on Sunday gave training to party leaders on social media and workers asking them to take cognizance of the medium.
Held at the Mahratta Chamber Of Commerce Industries & Agriculture (MCCIA), participants included NCP city unit chief Vandana Chavan, mayor Chanchala Kodre and others. NCP social media consultant Nitin Vaidya said that there are over two crore citizens using social media and it is easier for both the citizens as well as the political bodies to connect through it.
NCP’s Vandana Chavan said, “I use SMSes and emails to address the grievances of the electorate.”
NDP
While the traditional political parties are now waking up to the social media scene, a newer party Navbharat Democratic Party (NDP) is emerging as a leader in social media.
NDP’s Vinita Deshmukh who aspires to contest the Lok Sabha elections is an avid user of several social media platforms and has over 7,000 followers on Twitter besides a large following base on Facebook.
“Social media can be put to use to attract youngsters and educated class. Those who use Facebook and Twitter are not disturbed even if we tweet five times a day,” she said.
MNS
MNS general secretary Anil Shidore is also active on Facebook and Twitter with more than 5,000 tweets and 2,500 followers.
“I don’t use these platforms to talk about official events. I express my opinions and inform people about interesting events. I react to events and I find these mediums useful to get feedback from the youth and even members of other parties. I used it effectively during 2007 PMC elections and MNS would be using it during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls too,” he said.
Congress
Most Congress party leaders from the city, including Congress city unit president Abhay Chhajed and MLA Mohan Joshi, are not present on social media platforms.
“Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi had sent a team to Pune for the use of IT effectively and it was much before the Delhi elections,” said Chhajed, admitting that individually people may not be active to a great extent, but as a party, Congress is using the medium effectively.
BJP
A few local BJP leaders like four-time MLA from Kasaba assembly constituency Girish Bapat are active on social media platforms. “We even have a dedicated team for it,” he said.
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena spokesperson Dr Neelam Gorhe claimed that her party had an ‘IT Sena’ for the same purpose but admitted that she herself never used the medium. “I prefer the website to disseminate information,” she said.
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