A Social Media Test For Congress Ticket Aspirants In Poll-Bound Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Congress sets social media eligibility criteria for ticket aspirants. 

(Photographer: Erwin Fernandes/ BloombergQuint)

A minimum of 5,000 followers on Twitter and 15,000 likes on Facebook is now the eligibility criteria for those aspiring for a Congress party ticket in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

How savvy an aspiring candidate is on social media will be a factor in allocating tickets, according to a party communique. Candidates are expected to be active on messaging service WhatsApp and have groups including voters at the booth level.

That comes when the Congress party is attempting to dethrone three-time incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Party workers have been given a deadline of up to Sept. 15 to file their social media details with the local Congress IT office.

The deadline will force party workers to “buy” followers and likes, said political journalist AK Bhattacharya, pointing out how easy it was to bump up social media presence for the right price.

We all know how in the Twitter space and the Facebook space, you can go and buy these followers and likes.
AK Bhattacharya, Editorial Director, Business Standard

Amitabh Tewari, a political analyst, said social media is a key factor in reaching out to voters.

It’s a powerful tool to communicate and disseminate your message faster.
Amitabh Tewari, Political analyst
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Tamanna Inamdar
Executive Editor, NDTV Profit. Over 20 years experience covering business, ... more
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