Modi asks BJP to focus on social media to prepare for election

BJP parliamentary board met to discuss election strategy before upcoming national executive meeting

With over 1.6 million followers on Twitter, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has asked his party colleagues to make use of social media to target youth and first time voters in the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections.

The Parliamentary Board of BJP met to discuss election strategy before the upcoming national executive meeting. Senior leaders of the party are planning to bring out a ‘report card’ on the performance of Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which is completing nine years in government.

“We are ever ready for elections. One cannot call these nine years of UPA rule as one of governance. It can only be called misrule of Congress party. The people of the country are tired of this government’s misrule and want to replace at the earliest,” said Ananth Kumar, secretary of BJP’s Parliamentary Board.

Members of the opposition party also said that they have an “open mind” on Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill and no member of the union government had come forward to discuss these issues.        

BJP leaders are also planning several agitations and nationwide protests against the alleged corruption scandals surrounding the union government and will take the initiative forward after meeting all the office bearers in Goa next month. The main opposition party has already decided to start a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ from May 27 to June 2.  

The central leadership of BJP is desperately thinking of ways to improve its tally in the Lok Sabha election in 2014 after twice losing the general election to Congress party. BJP has only 115 seats in Lok Sabha now but under the Prime Ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the party had performed better with over 180 seats in Lok Sabha in 1999 election.   

“Narendra Modi suggested in the meeting that the spread and reach of social media and social network should be used to reach out to the people, especially the youth. The Gujarat chief minister suggested that information about UPA’s role in various scams should be made available to people on social media,” said Kumar.  

Among the top leadership of BJP at the national level, Modi is most active on social media while Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, is the second most active BJP leader on social media.     

The central leadership of BJP also discussed its election strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and it has been decided that a final decision on the issue will taken during the upcoming national executive meeting in Goa.