RAJKOT: Winning Rajkot (west) constituency has become prestige issue for the BJP and it doesn't want to take any chance, especially when Congress have pitted one of its strong candidates Indranil Rajguru against chief minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from the seat for the second time.
For this, a secret 'war room' consisting of over a dozen information technology (IT) experts — half of them from Delhi, Mumbai and Patna — has been set up in Rajkot with exclusive focus on Rajkot (west) seat. This is a exclusive IT cell of Rajkot BJP about which even the members of state BJP IT cell are not aware.
The war room — as the team calls it — is set up in a Patidar-dominated area in Manhar Plot. Entry of anybody other than party workers is restricted. They stay in the same premises and are not allowed to interact with anybody from media. They will be in Rajkot till December 9, till the polling for first phase of assembly polls (Saurashtra and south Gujarat) is over.
According to people working here, the war room was set up very recently with experts from across the country. Some have also worked with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chief political strategist during 2014 general elections Prashant Kishore. Many of the youngsters had worked with Kishore when he was strategist for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar during assembly elections there couple of years ago.
Sources in the BJP said the war room team was aggressive on social media and has been conducting research on the issues faced by people and what the opposition is planning during their campaign.
"I was working with Kishore and now I am working in my individual capacity. We are doing research work, running aggressive social media campaign, posting selected speech of CM on various social media platforms," one of the team members from Delhi, who is camping in Rajkot since last week, said.
Another team member from Mumbai said, "We are doing thorough research on each and every household in the constituency who are with BJP or against it. Micro level research is also being done about the opposition candidates." A few local youngsters who have good knowledge of social media marketing have also been hired to help the team from outside Gujarat, identify and understand the local issues.
One of the primary target of his secret team target is to encourage every voter come to the booth. They are creating special messages which will be circulated on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instragram and other social media sites.
Local BJP leaders and state BJP IT cell's Tarun Barot said, "I have come to know that the special IT cell is in Rajkot, but I don't know much about their activity." Head of the state BJP IT Amit Thakar also concurred with Barot.
Rajkot (west) has been BJP's safe seat since 1985. But with Congress fielding one of its stronger candidates Indranil Rajguru, who has been campaigning aggressively in the city since last few months, the BJP is acting cautiously. According to few BJP insiders "anti-incumbency factor and aggressive campaign by Rajguru has left the BJP anxious. Ruling party wants to do everything to retain this seat and have made it a prestige issue."
For this, a secret 'war room' consisting of over a dozen information technology (IT) experts — half of them from Delhi, Mumbai and Patna — has been set up in Rajkot with exclusive focus on Rajkot (west) seat. This is a exclusive IT cell of Rajkot BJP about which even the members of state BJP IT cell are not aware.
The war room — as the team calls it — is set up in a Patidar-dominated area in Manhar Plot. Entry of anybody other than party workers is restricted. They stay in the same premises and are not allowed to interact with anybody from media. They will be in Rajkot till December 9, till the polling for first phase of assembly polls (Saurashtra and south Gujarat) is over.
According to people working here, the war room was set up very recently with experts from across the country. Some have also worked with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chief political strategist during 2014 general elections Prashant Kishore. Many of the youngsters had worked with Kishore when he was strategist for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar during assembly elections there couple of years ago.
Sources in the BJP said the war room team was aggressive on social media and has been conducting research on the issues faced by people and what the opposition is planning during their campaign.
"I was working with Kishore and now I am working in my individual capacity. We are doing research work, running aggressive social media campaign, posting selected speech of CM on various social media platforms," one of the team members from Delhi, who is camping in Rajkot since last week, said.
Another team member from Mumbai said, "We are doing thorough research on each and every household in the constituency who are with BJP or against it. Micro level research is also being done about the opposition candidates." A few local youngsters who have good knowledge of social media marketing have also been hired to help the team from outside Gujarat, identify and understand the local issues.
One of the primary target of his secret team target is to encourage every voter come to the booth. They are creating special messages which will be circulated on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instragram and other social media sites.
Local BJP leaders and state BJP IT cell's Tarun Barot said, "I have come to know that the special IT cell is in Rajkot, but I don't know much about their activity." Head of the state BJP IT Amit Thakar also concurred with Barot.
Rajkot (west) has been BJP's safe seat since 1985. But with Congress fielding one of its stronger candidates Indranil Rajguru, who has been campaigning aggressively in the city since last few months, the BJP is acting cautiously. According to few BJP insiders "anti-incumbency factor and aggressive campaign by Rajguru has left the BJP anxious. Ruling party wants to do everything to retain this seat and have made it a prestige issue."
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