Learning from Chattisgarh, Maharashtra Congress workers to use Shakti app

After a massive success brought partly by the Shakti mobile app in Chattisgarh, the Maharashtra Congress has decided to use the app in all 288 constituencies by setting booth-level committees.

Maharashtra Congress president, Ashok Chavan said that three lakh party workers are registered with the app. "By end of January, we will have more than five lakh party workers and leaders, who will be part of this social media connect. By using the app, we can directly connect with the party workers in real time. They can also send messages. This is the fast mode of communications," Chavan said.

Party workers can upload their various protest work photos, issues, letters to various authorities on the app and keep a tab on how many people they were able to register at their booth level committees. Rahul Gandhi had recently used the app to seek party workers' opinions to choose the chief ministers for the recently-won three states — Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Chavan said that in the recent Jan Sangharsh Yatra, it has been proven that the Congress party workers and followers are at every nook and corner of the state. "We just want to reconnect them through this app. Besides, almost everyone today has a smartphone so our task has become quite easy. We want to enthuse a new energy among our workers who can make the change in the elections," Chavan said. The app was widely used in Chattisgarh by the Congress party president to communicate with the party workers and seek their opinion.

Taking a cue from the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also decided to use the technology effectively in order to connect the party workers with each other. Sarang Patil, the social media in charge for the NCP told DNA that there are 90,000 booths in 288 constituencies of the state Assembly. "In an average, in one constituency there are 300 booths. Through the NCP Connect app, we have covered 50 per cent of the state constituency while the remaining will be connected by the end of January 2019. We share information about the party and its various leaders' visit. This is a direct mode of communication between our leaders and party workers," Patil added.

Clyde Crasto, NCP social media in charge (Mumbai Division) said that they are using social media to maximise their outreach. "When I joined the social media, our NCPMumbai twitter handle had 2,000 followers. In a limited period, it has gone to 16,000. While the NCP handle has been followed by more than 2.59 lakh people on twitter. We have been running various campaigns through social media. 

Recently, we held the Jawabdo campaign by asking 56 questions to the people boasting of their 56-inch chest. Every day, we used to post one question on topics like bringing back black money, the promise of two crore jobs, fair MSP etc. It did create a lot of buzz on the social media and the ruling party was also got rattled because of our aggressive campaign," Crasto said.

STAYING INTERCONNECTED

The Indian National Congress’s president, Rahul Gandhi had recently asked for party workers’ opinion through an audio on the app on possible CM candidates for Rajasthan, Chhattishgarh and Madhya Pradesh where the party toppled the BJP government, securing a majority in the recently-held state assembly elections.