Congress gets online-savvy: Social media wings to start in 5 poll-bound states

New Delhi: Congress will set up new communication teams with a separate wing dedicated to social media in all the five poll-bound states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. “We are trying to set up our communication teams in all states within two-three months and to start with, we will do it in the five states where assembly elections are due this year,” AICC Communication Department Chairman Ajay Maken said here today. [caption id=“attachment_1041025” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rahul Gandhi is said to have told party members to become online savvy. AFP. [/caption] To begin with, Maken and AICC general secretary in-charge for Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Prakash, will address a media workshop for party workers in the BJP-ruled state tomorrow. Congress will also hold a national workshop on social media in the national capital on August 22 to build up the party’s communication strategy and to institutionalise a framework for it in all states ahead of Lok Sabha elections. A number of Union ministers and senior party leaders will address the workshop. There was speculation that Rahul Gandhi might address the social media workshop on the lines of the two-day media session organised by the party on July 22-23 here. However, party sources said the Congress vice president won’t be addressing the workshop. Party sources said there is a realisation in Congress that BJP and its poll mascot Narendra Modi are way ahead in their presence on social media and there have been attempts by the ruling party at the Centre to take on the Gujarat Chief Minister on Twitter. After the July media workshop, the party has set up social media teams in few states, they said. The issue of social media preparedness of Congress vis-a-vis BJP had recently figured during the first meeting of the party’s sub-group on manifesto for next Lok Sabha polls. Recently, AICC had also appointed two new national media coordinators to streamline its presence on television channels. PTI