New Delhi: Different political parties have given different reactions to this. Election commissionDirective to ban physical rallies and road shows till January 15. While the BJP and Congress said they had developed the infrastructure for virtual campaigning long ago, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) said it was more dependent on door-to-door campaigns. Door promotion. The Samajwadi Party (SP) said that it is planning how to organize virtual rallies.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) while announcing the election schedule for five states namely Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa on January 8 Sushil Chandra Said: “The Commission has decided that no road shows, padyatras, cycle, bike and vehicle rallies or any procession shall be permitted till 15th January… No physical rally of other group will be done. Allowed till January 15. The commission will review the pandemic situation later and issue further instructions accordingly.”
Political parties have welcomed the decision of the Election Commission and said that the directions of the constitutional body will be followed in letter and spirit. They are also prepared that the ban could extend till the election dates and are gearing up for that situation as well.
However, the parties responded differently regarding their preparedness to conduct the virtual campaign.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Speaking to TOI, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Thakur Appreciated the decision of the Election Commission and said that the schemes of the government through digital medium will help BJP.
Anurag Thakur, who also holds the youth affairs and sports portfolio, said, “We welcome the decision of the Election Commission. It is in the interest of the people. We have seen how Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was used to its full potential during the pandemic and digital payments through the UPI BHIM application set a record. Digital education helped people during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Information and Broadcasting Minister said that the BJP will follow the instructions of the Election Commission for digital campaigning. He said, ‘We in UP have been serving the people of the state continuously for the last five years. On one hand we fulfilled the promise of ‘Gundaraj and Corruption Mukt UP’ (UP free of goons and corruption) and on the other we fulfilled our welfare schemes of providing free house, electricity, toilet, water, LPG cylinder etc. The poorest of the poor will help the BJP.
Anurag Thakur hits out at BJP opponents “It will be difficult for those who were absent for five years but have emerged on the eve of elections. Now they are finding it difficult to reach the voters. Bua-behen-babua blamed EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) for the previous electoral defeat. Now they are making excuses on the pretext of complaining about the digital campaign. they will blame it after their defeat in Assembly elections,” They said.
Though he did not name her, but by “bua-behen-babua”, he was referring to BSP supremo Mayawati, Congress general secretary in-charge of UP. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and SP President Akhilesh Yadav,
BJP spokesperson and media co-in-charge Sanjay Mayukh said that the BJP has the experience of virtual campaigning and hence it will not face difficulties in the upcoming assembly elections as well. “Home Minister Amit Shah ji held virtual rallies during the 2020 Bihar assembly election. BJP will campaign at almost every level. We will set up green rooms in all states,” he said about the preparations.
Congress
With a strong and active presence in social media, Congress did not bother with the direction of the Election Commission. The party said that it already has a presence on social media in all the election states and it needs to delve deeper into this space.
Speaking to TOI, Congress Social Media Department President Rohan Gupta said, “Basically we were anticipating the Election Commission directive due to Covid. The way the stringent guidelines have come, we need to increase the level and volume of social media activities. Initially, the digital campaign was only a complement to the grassroots campaign, but now it will replace it with 100 per cent till the guidelines are implemented. ,
Rohan Gupta said that there will be multiple digital set ups – one set up at the national level and the other at the state level. “We are planning to start virtual rallies on all social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram from next week. National leaders will join from Delhi while state leaders and volunteers will join from state capitals.”
The Congress social media chief said that LED TVs will be installed in Congress offices in the states for the party volunteers to watch the live campaign while maintaining social distancing. Mobile LED TVs will also be installed at some steps.
Rohan Gupta said, “People will be invited to live virtual rallies through inc.in and they will get a link. They can also comment and give their feedback. We will have multiple reach across all platforms through party events, press conferences and campaigns; issuing and discussing manifestos; and candidate-level interactions.”
He said the social media department of the Congress had set up offices in the capitals of the election states four months ago. “We have trained social media warriors up to the assembly level in all states. We will set up WhatsApp group at booth level. We need to penetrate more. Our aim is to map the youth through organic reach and micro-targeting,” he said.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
A day after the election schedule was announced, BSP supremo Mayawati issued a press note and asked party workers to strictly follow the Election Commission’s guidelines.
The four-time former UP chief minister said: “There are strict instructions to all the BSP office-bearers, workers and candidates to strictly follow the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) implemented from today apart from party discipline.”
BSP spokesperson Faizan Khan said, ‘We welcome the directive of the Election Commission and Behen Mayawati ji has asked all of us to follow it. Apart from using social media, we have been going door-to-door for the past five years. Now we will soon reach out to voters through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Samajwadi Party (SP)
Among the major political parties, the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP was the only one to have expressed apprehension over the new system of banning physical rallies and shows and a directive to use virtual propaganda.
Soon after the Election Commission’s press conference, Akhilesh Yadav told news agency ANI: “If we go for virtual rallies, then the Election Commission should think of those parties and their workers who have no one to hold virtual rallies. There is no infrastructure. How will these parties hold virtual rallies without infrastructure? The Election Commission should cooperate by giving more time to the opposition parties on TV channels. Opposition parties should get free broadcast on these channels.
The former CM further said: “The BJP already has a huge infrastructure. They are in government. They also get the highest electoral bonds. They are ahead of all the parties in terms of election expenditure. We are witness to the way government money has been spent on advertising the channels. Channels were bound yesterday and will be bound today. That’s why opposition parties should also get a place. Otherwise, they will not be able to mobilize resources for their place.”
SP spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria told TOI that the party’s virtual campaign was in the “planning stage”. “We will clearly follow the directions of the Election Commission. We will preach from house to house. Our virtual campaign is in the planning stage. We will let you know very soon,” he said.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) while announcing the election schedule for five states namely Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa on January 8 Sushil Chandra Said: “The Commission has decided that no road shows, padyatras, cycle, bike and vehicle rallies or any procession shall be permitted till 15th January… No physical rally of other group will be done. Allowed till January 15. The commission will review the pandemic situation later and issue further instructions accordingly.”
Political parties have welcomed the decision of the Election Commission and said that the directions of the constitutional body will be followed in letter and spirit. They are also prepared that the ban could extend till the election dates and are gearing up for that situation as well.
However, the parties responded differently regarding their preparedness to conduct the virtual campaign.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Speaking to TOI, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Thakur Appreciated the decision of the Election Commission and said that the schemes of the government through digital medium will help BJP.
Anurag Thakur, who also holds the youth affairs and sports portfolio, said, “We welcome the decision of the Election Commission. It is in the interest of the people. We have seen how Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was used to its full potential during the pandemic and digital payments through the UPI BHIM application set a record. Digital education helped people during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Information and Broadcasting Minister said that the BJP will follow the instructions of the Election Commission for digital campaigning. He said, ‘We in UP have been serving the people of the state continuously for the last five years. On one hand we fulfilled the promise of ‘Gundaraj and Corruption Mukt UP’ (UP free of goons and corruption) and on the other we fulfilled our welfare schemes of providing free house, electricity, toilet, water, LPG cylinder etc. The poorest of the poor will help the BJP.
Anurag Thakur hits out at BJP opponents “It will be difficult for those who were absent for five years but have emerged on the eve of elections. Now they are finding it difficult to reach the voters. Bua-behen-babua blamed EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) for the previous electoral defeat. Now they are making excuses on the pretext of complaining about the digital campaign. they will blame it after their defeat in Assembly elections,” They said.
Though he did not name her, but by “bua-behen-babua”, he was referring to BSP supremo Mayawati, Congress general secretary in-charge of UP. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and SP President Akhilesh Yadav,
BJP spokesperson and media co-in-charge Sanjay Mayukh said that the BJP has the experience of virtual campaigning and hence it will not face difficulties in the upcoming assembly elections as well. “Home Minister Amit Shah ji held virtual rallies during the 2020 Bihar assembly election. BJP will campaign at almost every level. We will set up green rooms in all states,” he said about the preparations.
Congress
With a strong and active presence in social media, Congress did not bother with the direction of the Election Commission. The party said that it already has a presence on social media in all the election states and it needs to delve deeper into this space.
Speaking to TOI, Congress Social Media Department President Rohan Gupta said, “Basically we were anticipating the Election Commission directive due to Covid. The way the stringent guidelines have come, we need to increase the level and volume of social media activities. Initially, the digital campaign was only a complement to the grassroots campaign, but now it will replace it with 100 per cent till the guidelines are implemented. ,
Rohan Gupta said that there will be multiple digital set ups – one set up at the national level and the other at the state level. “We are planning to start virtual rallies on all social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram from next week. National leaders will join from Delhi while state leaders and volunteers will join from state capitals.”
The Congress social media chief said that LED TVs will be installed in Congress offices in the states for the party volunteers to watch the live campaign while maintaining social distancing. Mobile LED TVs will also be installed at some steps.
Rohan Gupta said, “People will be invited to live virtual rallies through inc.in and they will get a link. They can also comment and give their feedback. We will have multiple reach across all platforms through party events, press conferences and campaigns; issuing and discussing manifestos; and candidate-level interactions.”
He said the social media department of the Congress had set up offices in the capitals of the election states four months ago. “We have trained social media warriors up to the assembly level in all states. We will set up WhatsApp group at booth level. We need to penetrate more. Our aim is to map the youth through organic reach and micro-targeting,” he said.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
A day after the election schedule was announced, BSP supremo Mayawati issued a press note and asked party workers to strictly follow the Election Commission’s guidelines.
The four-time former UP chief minister said: “There are strict instructions to all the BSP office-bearers, workers and candidates to strictly follow the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) implemented from today apart from party discipline.”
BSP spokesperson Faizan Khan said, ‘We welcome the directive of the Election Commission and Behen Mayawati ji has asked all of us to follow it. Apart from using social media, we have been going door-to-door for the past five years. Now we will soon reach out to voters through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Samajwadi Party (SP)
Among the major political parties, the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP was the only one to have expressed apprehension over the new system of banning physical rallies and shows and a directive to use virtual propaganda.
Soon after the Election Commission’s press conference, Akhilesh Yadav told news agency ANI: “If we go for virtual rallies, then the Election Commission should think of those parties and their workers who have no one to hold virtual rallies. There is no infrastructure. How will these parties hold virtual rallies without infrastructure? The Election Commission should cooperate by giving more time to the opposition parties on TV channels. Opposition parties should get free broadcast on these channels.
The former CM further said: “The BJP already has a huge infrastructure. They are in government. They also get the highest electoral bonds. They are ahead of all the parties in terms of election expenditure. We are witness to the way government money has been spent on advertising the channels. Channels were bound yesterday and will be bound today. That’s why opposition parties should also get a place. Otherwise, they will not be able to mobilize resources for their place.”
SP spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria told TOI that the party’s virtual campaign was in the “planning stage”. “We will clearly follow the directions of the Election Commission. We will preach from house to house. Our virtual campaign is in the planning stage. We will let you know very soon,” he said.
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