 "Cong refreshes social media fight against BJP")
Not just that, the party is now reaching out to non-party based groups or Congress sympathisers who tweet under the handle @WithCongress in a bid to counter the countless "paid Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trolls" active on social media. Adopting a tool much used in the American presidential campaign, the Congress would soon be launching "direct personalised mailers" to voters to ensure that they root and ultimately vote for the Congress.
Congress member of Parliament and young gun Deepinder Hooda, at whose behest the whole initiative had been undertaken, was tasked with heading the party's social media initiative. While the website took six months in the making, boasting of features unseen on other party websites like video recordings of speeches made by Congress leaders dating back to pre-Independence, sourcing films from the National Film archives and AIR took time. While all the content for this initiative is in house - the technical backbone has been outsourced.
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Since the party found that its own Twitter handle @INCIndia has not been sufficient to take on the BJP's social media clout, it has co-opted a group of Congress sympathisers going by the name of @WithCongress, which includes several prominent civil society members. Reaching out to this group, the Congress social media team now provides them content on topics like the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)'s rights-based legislations, economic achievements and the like.
Congress insiders disclosed that the party had been studying the effectiveness of direct mail advertising ie political mailers that are used in American presidential campaigns and has decided to adopt it.
"A list of influential people have been drawn up and we intend to send them personalised mailers about the Congress and the UPA so that we ensure that over the next few months, we manage to secure the support and vote for the party", said Congress sources.