Odisha Cong gets dedicated cell for social media

Congress today set up a media department and a dedicated cell for social media in BJD-ruled Odisha in line with party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's plan to tone up their strategy in states ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Odisha is the second state after Chhattisgarh where special teams of social media have been created by the party.
Besides, Congress has also set up a seven-member disciplinary panel given Rahul's repeated emphasis on the need for the party to shun factionalism and speak in one voice.
"Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved the proposal for appointing the disciplinary committee, media department and social media committee of Odisha Pradesh Congress," said a release from AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

The media department for the state headed by Narsingh Mishra has 14 members while the social media committee under Abhinna Kumar Hota has nine members. Harihar Karan is the chairman of the disciplinary committee.
Last week, Congress had announced the setting up of a five-member social media and research department for Chhattisgarh, the first of its kind for any state. The party has also appointed five spokespersons there.

In a media workshop held here on July 22 and 23, Rahul had unveiled plans to set up communication teams in all states ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
The media workshop imparted training to the spokespersons from the states and had also served as an exercise to pick out the talented ones from among them for the national media team.

With the realisation that it was lagging behind BJP as far as media strategy was concerned, Congress has in recent times taken several initiatives to tone up its media presence for print, electronic and social media.