India's Political Parties Embrace Social Media With Gusto

Gupta, a doctorate in data analytics, has a team of 20 people working in the party's digital operation centre.

"Everyone understands the importance of this medium and we are using it very effectively. And that is the key. The young and the educated India are all online. The aspirational India is online. They all want to understand what is going on. It helps us to directly keep in touch with the voters. It is a two-way tool," Gupta said.

Gupta outlined what needed to be done ahead of the Lok Sabha battle due by May. "A lot of listening from the crowd is required. Feedback mechanisms are required between now and the elections. Second, we need to use the net more for micro messaging and targeted messaging. Finally, we need to do a lot of resource mobilisation."

The Congress, India's grand old party, realised the importance of the social medium much later, a party member associated with online activities said on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

"We gave a lot of importance to the traditional media. But it can be manipulated. Now we have realised that social media is a much more direct connect with the common people," he told IANS.

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