West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Benerjee addressing an election rally in Ranchi
With all major political parties using the social media to woo voters, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is bolstering its Internet presence by introducing 'Didi Direct' section on its website and getting Indian Institute of Management (IIM) graduates to write blogs for the party to make the most of it.
"Didi Direct, a new section on the party's website, will focus on all new stories and video content related to the campaign by chairperson Mamata Banerjee and highlight Didi's campaign activities through the ongoing poll season," party Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien told reporters in Kolkata.
(India Votes 2014: full coverage)He said that of the 31 graduates who had applied for an internship programme with the Trinamool Congress, two have been selected to assist the digital team of the party.
"The interns will be writing 40 blogs to highlight the development work done by the West Bengal government in various sectors - from 'Kanyasree' and 'Jal dharo jal bharo' (save water store water) to maintenance of law and order in the Jangalmahal," Mr O'Brien said.
"A new customised mobile app has been developed to deliver all party-related news at the touch of a finger on mobiles, tablets etc," he said adding that the mobile app comes in both Android and iOS versions and is compatible with 5000 devices.
The Trinamool Congress has been very active on social media with a strong presence on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube,
Mr O'Brien claimed and said "it is widely acknowledged that Trinamool is among the top three political parties in India to enjoy pride of place in the virtual world."
He, however, explained that the social media was just one of the many modes of communication that the party relied on, saying that "Trinamool has a 360 degree approach to communication."
"There are twelve 30 degree arcs, each equally important," he said adding that from workers' meetings, door to door campaigning and chairperson's meeting to direct media and social media, every arc was important to the party.