Congress to widen the use of social media

JAIPUR: Civil flash protests on the streets and the internet over social issues in the recent times has made the Congress talk in its "Jaipur declaration" about the special emphasis the party would now on lay on the use of information technology.

At the AICC session held here on Sunday, the Congress senior leaders clandestinely admitted the party has lost link with the urban middle class. The Jaipur declaration had a separate mention about how the party required to adapt to changing conditions by harnessing the latest IT to "communicate effectively" with the people.

"The party will deepen and widen the use of IT in the organisation by setting up IT cells right up to the block level," the declaration reads, while emphasising that social media could give the party useful feedback on how the people perceive the government and what they expect from it. The party would also engage the regional and the local media in its efforts.

At discussions during the two-day Chintan Shivir that ended on Saturday, partymen pointed out how the BJP was using social sites like Facebook and Twitter to hit out at the Congress every day. Others brought to Rahul Gandhi's notice how people flooded the internet with comments on Congress president Sonia Gandhi's speech within minutes on the Shivir's inaugural day. Among the organisational issues concerning the party, the leaders recognised the need for increasing its presence on social media to bridge its gap with the country's youth.

"We will launch, at different levels, a mass contact programme to share our achievements and gather feedback on the people's aspirations and priorities," says the party's Jaipur declaration released on Sunday.

The Chintan Shivir saw demands for separate media cell to be set up at the AICC headquarters to fight its rivals' propaganda. A committee under senior leaders Digvijay Singh has been busy putting up a counter to BJP's "Sanchar Kendra" (communication centres) that have come up in Gujarat. Technocrat Sam Pitroda is also being involved in the party effort to use IT as an effective tool to take the youth and the urban residents into the Congress fold.

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