NEW DELHI: After outperforming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh (MP), Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has asked senior party leaders to increase their social media presence. The party’s minority cell has also been directed to focus on ways to increase its social media presence.
A senior Congress leader told The Sunday Guardian: “A meeting in this regard was held at the party office, and most of the senior Congressmen were present. In the meeting, the Congress president told the leaders that they must grab the opportunity provided by technology to promote the Congress’ agenda and ideology.”
“Rahul Gandhi said that social media has helped the party win the recently concluded Assembly polls and for better performance in the general elections to be held this year, Congress leaders, including the old and new generation, must come forward to use the social media space for better campaign,” the same leader mentioned above said.
According to sources close to the party’s functioning, in the meeting, the central leadership stressed on the need to improve the social media activities of old leaders and directed the party’s minority cell to focus on ways to increase its social media presence. “Old leaders were asked to attend workshops being organised by the party to train its workers and leaders,” the same leader cited above said.
“The minority cell needs to propagate the ideals and philosophy of the party and counter the RSS and BJP’s divisive politics,” the same leader cited above said.
As per sources, Quamrul Huda, who is heading the social media division of the Congress’ minority cell, was asked to help the party in increasing its footprint on social media platforms. He was also asked by senior leaders to propagate the Congress’ stand on triple talaq and other similar issues. Huda is an IT professional and considered very close to several leaders like Sanjay Nirupam, Mahabal Mishra and Anand Sharma.
After the 2014 general elections, the role of social media seems to have acquired importance in poll campaign as many political observers had given credit to the social media for the BJP’s victory in 2014. Realising the importance of social media platforms, the Congress has been working hard to compete in this space.