India's Political Parties Embrace Social Media With Gusto

Dilip Pandey, a strategist in the AAP's social media cell, told IANS that the company's overall philosophy to pitch before the general elections would remain same as it was before the Delhi Assembly elections. "We will do positive and constructive pitching through social media like we have done before the Delhi Assembly elections. We do not do political mudslinging."

Pandey, who left his multinational company's IT job in Hong Kong and became a full-time political activist with the AAP, said all the party's social media activities are conducted by volunteers. "We do everything through crowd sourcing. We do not pay anything to anybody. You cannot pump in patriotism into someone by paying."

He said the party tries to read the common people's mind through the social media and act accordingly. "We analyse what they say and try to speak what they want."

Though most of the limelight is hogged by the BJP and the AAP in the social media space, among the regional parties, the Trinamool Congress is very active on Facebook. It even has separate pages for the party's supporters and fans. The supporters page regularly updates the party's events and photos.

Others like the AIADMK, Assam's All India United Democratic Front and the Biju Janata Dal also have Facebook pages with various activities.

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