#SarkaraBadalisiBJPGellisi VS #CongressForNavaKarnataka: The hashtag battleground
The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies.
- Napoleon Bonaparte
The scenes from Karnataka in this hottest summer are no less than a battlefield where the BJP and the Congress are battling in a fight to the finish. People of Karnataka are participating and the entire nation is witnessing in an election process will be held in Karnataka on 12 May 2018 in 223 constituencies out of 224 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The two main opposition parties, Bharatiya Janata Party with currently 42 seats in hands and Janta Dal (S) with 29 seats and other parties will take on the incumbent Indian National Congress which holds 119 seats.
HOW CAMPAIGNS STARTED
Karnataka is one of the biggest states going to polls this year. It is generally one of the most important elections after UP elections for both the national parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party officially began its Karnataka election campaign on 2 November 2017 when BJP president Amit Shah flagged off the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana (transformation) rally, a 75-day tour across Karnataka led by its state president B.S.Yeddyurappa, kicking off the party’s campaign for assembly elections due in 2018. The BJP campaign is scripted by party president Amit Shah with BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate B. S. Yediyurappa. All top gun including their star campaigner PM Narendra Modi, are on the soil of Karnataka.
On the other hand, the Congress party in a relaxed or rather overconfident mode, started late on February 10, during the three-day visit, of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the first visit after being made All India Congress Committee chief. On April 24, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala launched the Congress Campaign and logo at KPCC office in Bengaluru The slogan reads: "Karnatakada Hemme (Pride) Congress Mattomme (once again) in Kannada. It means Congress is the pride of the state, elect the party once again. The Congress plan of minority tag to Lingayats is not helping the party anymore. In fact, more Lingayats have distanced from the party. The North India jibe against the BJP leaders and the Hindi language chauvinism too is not finding favour. (In fact, in many rallies, people stopped the translator to listen to PM Modi's acute oratory). and more than that the central leaders from Congress too are speaking in Hindi. Congress is afraid of raising Tipu Jayanti or his contributions for the fear of backlash. On the other front, Con Prez Rahul is unable to stimulate the party. All his rallies are more a Siddaramiah affairs than his own. What Rahul is being mocked at is his oratorial goof-ups.
WAR ROOMS
While the ground level dusty campaign is sweating the cadre of both parties, a bunch of people from diverse backgrounds, sitting an AC cabins before their laptops and mobile phones, are not allowed to go on ground and feel the heat, yet they are relentlessly fighting and equally sweating when they fight an impulsive war of words for their parties in the virtual world. 30-odd volunteers running the Yes, the social media teams of both the BJP and Congress have made the Karnataka poll campaign a live one with twists and tales with a Masala Tadka of bitching and crouching crispier posts, messages and campaigns.
BJP's war room Located in Malleshwaram in north-west Bengaluru, close to the BJP headquarters. BJP state unit’s online campaign and is run largely by volunteers below 30 years. BJP’s chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa has a separate war room, located in the tony Sadashivanagar neighbourhood, which is run by political consultancy Rajneethi. Operational since October, this office runs the campaign of Yediyurappa and confirms his voice reaches to masses and remains active across social media platforms.
BJP’s Social Media head Balaji Shrinivas says that The BJP has created over 23,000 WhatsApp groups with 80-100 members in each group over six months, says Srinivas. Talking to media Srinivas tells that WhatsApp plays a crucial role in the polls. His team in Bengaluru was also involved in offline outreach efforts from December when 30-35 people would head to areas in and around the city every weekend to campaign for the party. The BJP's social media efforts for the election kicked off in August with a workshop attended by 4,000-5,000 people from various Assembly constituency level.
Similarly, the Congress party is having a 30-strong team working in two shifts out of an office on Cunningham Road to conceptualise and execute the party's digital campaign. The team is a mix of professionals, handling graphic design and video production, party volunteers and those sympathetic to the Congress. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and former minister Dinesh Gundu Rao is supervising the party's social media and media outreach efforts.
Srivatsa B, the in charge of social media for the Congress in Karnataka thinks that all the digital campaign ammunition is created here and then fired through multiple channels, including WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son, Yatindra is closely monitoring the social media strategies for his party.
FLICKERING CAMPAIGNS
Karnataka is boiling over the feverish campaigning’ of BJP and Congress rallies. Today on the last day of campaigning, around 52 of BJP's central ministers, CMs, MLAs & MLCs have landed in Karnataka to campaign today, the last day. While BJP Prez Amit Shah is confident of winning elections so does the Sonia Gandhi. Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 has the crucial significance for both BJP as well as Congress. If the BJP wins it will overthrow the Congress which has been ruling for decades, and if Congress wins it will overcome the ‘defeat wave’ which it has been reeling for a long time.
People want the change, promises given by BJP have significance for every section of society, from Farmers to women. Also, Congress has promised to uplift every section by providing every possible thing like employment, welfare schemes etc.
No wonder people might look forward to not vote the party which has been responsible for scams, corruption, building propagandas to divide and rule etc, which adds a positive point for BJP to come to power.
Now let's get the actual feel of the performances of the social media identities of both the parties:
| SOCIAL | BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY | INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS |
| Website | http://www.bjpkarnataka.org/ | Not Available |
| Facebook Page | https://www.facebook.com/BJP4Karnataka | https://www.facebook.com/INCKarnataka/ |
| | https://www.instagram.com/bjp4karnataka/ | https://www.instagram.com/inckarnataka/ |
| YouTube | Not Available | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClGZkrSaoazgsx7xtQ5quZw |
| | Twitter Handles: Karnataka BJP Handle: @BJP4Karnataka Followers: 180K Accounts Reached: 505,897 B.S. Yeddyurappa: @BSYBJP Followers: 283K Accounts Reached : 2,547,054 BSY Office @Office_of_BSY Followers 3842 P Muralidhar Rao @PMuralidharRao Followers: 143K Reach: 313,828 #Hashtags used by BJP: #SarkaraBadalisiBJPGellisi | Twitter Handles: Karnataka Congress Handle: @INCKarnataka Followers: 46.4K Accounts reached: 57,247 Siddaramaiah: @siddaramaiah Followers: 155K Dr. G Parameshwara: @DrParameshwara :Followers: 20.3K President, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee #Hashtags used by Congress: #CongressForNavaKarnataka #KarnatakadaHemmeCongressMathomme |
HOW THE HASHTAGS CARRIED MESSAGES
The hashtag war continued for two months between social media teams generated propaganda and messages. While the leaders of both parties were busy communicating with the people directly, those SM posts were making the voters think and form their opinion.
Hashtags use: The Congress way
#CleanPoliticswithINC
Pitching for clean politics, Congress promises to bring better tomorrows. Touchwood, if it happens in a real! Congress alleges that Reddy Brothers, the infamous mining mafia from Karnataka cost the State Rs.35000 Crore. The UPA government cracked them down & threw them in jail but our PM, as usual, showing solidarity with the Corrupt is offering full support in the state election.
#ShahOfLies
Terming BJP President the liar, Chief Minister Siddaramiah has taken to Twitter questioning, Amit Shah, saying “Poor @AmitShah you are so desperate. Nothing is working. Tippu, Pakistan etc. do not help you. Tell us about how you betrayed people of North Karnataka after promising to resolve Mahadayi.”
#BJPDramaExposed
After the fake voter ids were recovered the election campaigning took another twist kick off the blame games amidst two political Supremes. Congress supporters backing the scam presented a picture proving the id voters’ fraud belongs to BJP. It says “Here is BJP leader Rakesh (at whose house the Voter IDs were found) campaigning with BJP MLA candidate Muniraj & Former Dy CM Ashoka. BJP is now trying to disown him & his mother after they were caught red-handed trying to fool the people of Karnataka.
#KarnatakaDefeatsBJP
Claiming to be “good saver” for Karnataka, Congress is playing politics by manipulating people for a vote. Congress alleges that BS Yeddyurappa has threatened people of Karnataka to vote for BJP. Congress said "Mr Yeddyurappa has threatened people if they don’t vote for BJP. This is shocking coming from a party that claims to respect India’s democracy and Constitution. It reflects BJP's fear of losing in Karnataka."
Let's see the BJP’s rebuttal
#SiddaExposed
Days ahead of Karnataka election the Siddaramaiah led Congress party was exposed for having links and connections with all the people who are looting the nation. Proofs have emerged which clearly shows that CM of Karnataka Siddaramaiah has met one of the absconders named Vijay Eswaran against whom a charge sheet was filed in Chennai in 2009, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in China in 2013. The CVC/CBI order, SFIO order and enquiry were all ordered against him during UPA government. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra came up with proofs of the meeting and held a press conference in Bengaluru exposing the intentions of Siddaramaiah and Congress party. CM Siddaramaiah has met absconder Vijay Eswaran along with one another absconder, both of whom are national threats according to Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). #SiddaExposed speaks about the 40 lakh Hublot watch of CM Siddaramaiah, which incepted many memes in social media.
Interestingly after this expose, CM Siddaramaiah reacts: "If BJP wants to go with this logic of using a photo to accuse me then it should also accuse PM Modi of his photo with Nirav Modi in Davos",
So factually, Siddaramaiah defeated the claim of his Party President who attacked the PM for the last lane appearance of Nirav Modi in a group photo with the Prime Minister.
#SiddaExposed talks about many issues which Siddaramaiah should answer. But the fate is in the hands of the people of Karnataka who also seek the answers and never got them.
#HarrisBaigGeorgeMuktaBluru
In January 2018, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on issued a Foreign Exchange Management Act violation notice to senior Congress leader and Karnataka cabinet minister Roshan Baig and his family members, said an official familiar with the developments. In its notice, the ED has stated that Baig is a director in a family owned firm (Ruman Enterprises Pvt. Ltd) has received funds from a foreign firm based in the Gulf and those funds have not been properly accounted for. The BJP picked this issue.
In an interview with BJP President Amit Shah slams Congress saying: The government has failed on all fronts. More than 3,500 farmers have committed suicide; there has been a 173% rise in farmer suicides — the highest in the country. Law and order are in tatters. Anyone can walk into any Bengaluru restaurant, shoot someone, and the police do not even register an FIR (first information report). The city has been handed over to (KJ) George, (NA) Harris and Roshan Baig. The Congress policy of appeasement will destroy it.
#SarkaraBadalisiBJPGellisi
This is not a mere hastag.. #SarkaraBadalisiBJPGellisi has become the warcry of the BJP Karnataka...!
#BJP4InclusiveVikasa
While campaigning day ends for both the parties, Bhartiya Janata Party promises to change the regime by encouraging people to vote for the party. Standing with its theme of #Sabka SaathSabkaVikas, BJP promises to work for the welfare of every Indian irrespective of religion or community. PM Modi has always stressed on #developmentforall, today he too assured the people of Karnataka, “BJP is working towards the betterment of one and all.” Since the election campaigning was kicked off by BJP Prez Amit Shah, the ground witnessed the heavy participation of audience cheering up and supporting the saffron.
#SinsOfCongress
Every single Indian has been disappointed with the Congress, no doubt! Massive participation in rallies, shouting slogans for BJP itself shows the extent of the rage of people they carry against Congress and its functioning. “Corruption” is what people have got since decades. This is another way where BJP has listed down different fraudulent acts for which Congress is held responsible.
Here are some of the scams shouldered by Congress:
#CongRigsElection
Voting is our fundamental and responsible right but Congress has also dipped its spoilt hands interfering with common people’s rights. Days before polls, around 10,000 IDs were recovered from RR Nagar, Bengaluru. The involvement leads to Congress Party worker Muniratna Naidu who has a history of ‘faking’. Subverting the process of elections in a political lust way, this proves #CongRigsElection.
#TarleTommy
Besides political player, Congress’ President Rahul Gandhi has built up another image of the party which has ‘humour’ in itself. Being a President of National Political Party whose origin dates back to decades, fails to carry forward the royalty and presence upheld by Indira Gandhi and other leaders of Congress. Here, Tarle Tommy, a comedian has presented Rahul Gandhi’s funny side (p.s No wonder Rahul Gandhi can entertain millions with his seriousness.)
CONCLUSION
Use of social media and internet for the election campaign has become a regular feature in Indian politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mastered the craft of using social media not only for only elections but using it for better governance and for the direct contact with the people of India. The situation has changed so much positively for citizens that you tweet any irregularity- tag the concerned department or ministry and find a feedback within minutes. The Social Media is showing what the technology can do for the democracy if used judiciously and for peoples welfare and not the Cambridge Analytica way which led Congress to betray the people for mere political gains.
The Battle of Karnataka will always remain an example of the effective use of social media in poll campaigns.
On the last days of the election campaign, the picture in Karnataka is- The Congress has gone into defensive mode and not counting on raising the minority tag to Lingayats. People in North Karnataka are cursing Congress for dividing Hindus. Also, Lingayats, are supporting their caste man Yeddiyurappa than Congress. Congress totally failed and is burning but to be counterproductive to Congress.
Kannada chauvinism, and Hindi language imposition on which Congress expected to win an election did not produce the desired result. This is mainly because north Karnataka speaks Hindi, fluently. The arousing response to PM Modi's speeches from the masses are enough to shut the Congress' ugly divisive agendas. The Congress is finding that their Tipu Jayanti which was celebrated but that has created more enemies; Congress created more opposition than votes for the party.
Leave the opinion polls collected in January. Looking at the huge enormous and spontaneous responses to the rallies of PM Modi and other BJP leaders and also for the road shows of BJP Prez Amit Shah, BJP does not have any chance of losing, for sure. The only academic question remains is by how many seats BJP will win.