Pooling their resources, the INDIA parties are likely to set up a joint social media team drawing manpower from each party. The social media teams of all the coalition’s members are scheduled to meet on September 2 in Mumbai a day after the Opposition bloc’s third summit concludes.
The idea is to propagate a common message and also to reach a bigger audience, spanning the current social media outreach of all the INDIA constituents.
“Even without a common social media team, at least a few of the lead parties have been coordinating on all key issues. A common team will reduce the time lag and also ensure that the coordination goes beyond a few parties alone,” a source aware of the move said. Also, the social media strength of each of the parties are uneven and the effort, the source added, aimed to bring them all on an even keel.
Tapping WhatsApp networks
The emphasis is not only on mass media like X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook, but also to tap into the vast network of WhatsApp groups that each party maintains. “It is time we have micro-messaging. The voter sitting in the remotest corner of the country should be aware of what our policies are and what we stand for,” the source added.
While the INDIA parties are trying to put off their seat sharing formula negotiations for now, delaying a possible confrontation, they are instead focussing on creating a joint apparatus. This will include a coordination committee, a secretariat for election management, a common research wing, 10 INDIA spokespersons drawn from different parties, a common media team, and a committee to frame a national agenda. The parties also have to finalise their common campaign issues and a joint action schedule for public rallies and other outreach programmes.
“These are a few ideas that have been mooted, but they will be formalised depending on the consensus in Friday’s meeting,” the source added. There is a bit of unease among a section of the INDIA parties on bringing uniformity into all aspects that could threaten their own individual existence.
