EC poll rally ban in UP: Here’s why BJP has the edge over other parties in digital campaigning

PM Modi (File image)

On January 8, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav sought funds from the Election Commission of India to strengthen the digital infrastructure of political parties and enable them to compete with the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

The former UP Chief Minister’s request, during a press conference in Lucknow, was in response to a question on the Opposition party’s preparedness to run a digital campaign, if needed, amid the surge in Covid-19 cases.

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“The Election Commission should give some funds to political parties so that they create a step-up infrastructure, because we cannot compete with the BJP infrastructure,” Yadav said.

Hours later, the poll panel announced the schedule for assembly elections in five States, including Uttar Pradesh, while banning physical meetings until January 15, among other restrictions.

Uttar Pradesh is considered a bellwether state, as its poll outcome may be an indication of voter sentiment ahead of the 2024 general elections. UP sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the most from any state.

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UP watchers expect the incumbent BJP to face a challenge from the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming poll, which will be held over seven phases between February 10 and March 7. Counting for the 403 assembly seats will take place on March 10.

Advantage BJP

Political analysts said that the new rules could benefit the ruling BJP as it has an edge over its rivals in terms of organisational and digital infrastructure, something that Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh have admitted as well. The party’s offices in UP’s 75 districts and 18 divisions are equipped with devices to conduct virtual meetings up to the booth level, according to BJP spokesperson Sameer Singh.

Also, read: What’s at stake for BJP in the Uttar Pradesh polls?

The BJP had started spending on digital infrastructure well before any other party. In the 2021 West Bengal elections, the party’s social media wing comprised 60 lakh people and 40,000 WhatsApp groups. Similarly, in the 2020 Bihar Assembly election, the BJP used its online infrastructure to create around 1 lakh WhatsApp groups for its digital campaign, according to a report in Newslaundry. It is another matter, however, that the saffron party lost the West Bengal election.

Rahul Verma, Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), says that notwithstanding the pandemic, almost all parties have been investing in digital campaigns, However, the BJP is the pioneer and is ahead of the rest.

“Over the years, we saw parties investing more on online campaigning, the emergence of more digital platforms such as mobile apps, and other parties trying to catch up with the BJP, which has been making use of technology since the 2014 general elections,” Verma told Moneycontrol.

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Before the restrictions imposed on January 8, the BJP and other parties had been holding campaign rallies in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had addressed over a dozen rallies in less than two months.

With the EC ban on physical rallies, however, digital platforms will play a larger role in these elections. Leaders from the ruling party are well aware of this reality. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said saving lives was more important.

“Akhileshji knows he is losing elections. That is why he is making excuses and asking for funds,” Maurya said in an interview with BBC Hindi on January 11.

While the BJP is well known for its IT cell, the party has also been building its technical prowess. It has started enrolling 1,63,000 Information Technology coordinators and members in its social media units across the State. The party will pass content to its 1,918 IT cell heads at the division-level and 1.7 lakh WhatsApp groups. The BJP’s presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will help in amplifying its message further.

In the upcoming elections, the saffron party will also use 3D Studio Mix technology. Using this technology, leaders at two different locations can be shown on a podium by creating a virtual stage.

Lagging behind in the race

Even before the pandemic, political parties around the world had started digital political campaigns through the integration of data analytics and social media tools. In 2012, Barack Obama’s campaign in the US presidential election used technology in a big way. In India, the first such example was the 2014 general elections, which saw the use of data, technology and social media in campaign strategies, mostly by the BJP.

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“No doubt, the BJP was the first to invest in digital infrastructure way before other parties did. Other parties responded late,” Ankit Lal, political campaign consultant and author of the book 'India Social' told MoneyControl.

Other parties in UP are way behind the BJP in the digital campaign game. While the SP has been trying to compete with the ruling party to some extent, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is way behind, analysts said.

In the 2017 assembly elections, for example, the SP had set up a ‘Samajwadi Digital Force’ (SDF), which connected crores of voters through WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms across the state. The party is said to have once again activated its flagship SDF, according to a report in News18. The speeches of party leaders, publicity material and short videos and images of the campaign will be shared using the SDF.

“We will hold virtual meetings on all digital platforms. Our workers and candidates at the assembly and booth level will do live sessions on Facebook,” said Abdul Hafiz Gandhi, an SP spokesperson.

Also, read: BSP chief Mayawati will not contest UP polls: Party leader S C Misra

The BJP’s rivals, including the Congress, have not only been late to the digital game, they also lack a leader to match the personality of Modi. “Our preparation is ready. We will arrange virtual rallies and will reach out to people through Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook, etc,” Congress social media head Rohan Gupta told news agency IANS.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed the EC’s virtual campaigning directive a blessing and said it would use its experience in social media to whip up support.

However, a strong digital presence and big investments on online campaigns do not guarantee that a party will win elections, say experts, citing the BJP’s strong social media campaign in Jharkhand in 2019 and West Bengal in 2021, which did not succeed.

“We can say the BJP has easy access to digital media. But you also need a message to seek votes,” CPR’s Verma said.