The BJP utilises an extensive social media campaign via WhatsApp to target voters, while grassroots activists in Lucknow focus on promoting religious tolerance and unity in the face of rising sectarian tensions.
In the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated a comprehensive social media campaign targeting potential voters, capitalizing primarily on WhatsApp. Ankur Rana, a social media coordinator for the BJP in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, manages 400-450 WhatsApp groups and directly connects with up to 15,000 people daily, striving to achieve the ambitious goal of reaching 100,000-150,000 new individuals each day. The BJP’s approach involves disseminating carefully coordinated political messages from its Delhi headquarters, which are subsequently distributed through state-level volunteers and local campaigners.
Meanwhile, in Lucknow, 80-year-old peace activist Roop Rekha Verma campaigns for religious tolerance and mutual coexistence in local communities. Former university leader and philosophy professor, Verma hands out pamphlets promoting unity amid escalating sectarian divides. Activists like Verma and Vipin Kumar Tripathi, a former physics professor, counter the tide of hate speech prevalent online by engaging with people directly. Despite government crackdowns on dissent, these activists persist in their efforts to uphold nonsectarian values and foster dialogue among citizens. Their grassroots efforts are a stark contrast to the BJP’s high-tech, broad-reaching digital strategy.
