Campaigning in the 2012 UP elections is all set to undergo a sea change.
Dhoti-clad politicians, steeped in tradition, are now climbing on to social networking sites to link themselves to their votes. Young wannabe politicians are using the platform to connect with their leaders and middle-ranking politicians are also using these sites to get in a word with their leaders.
Union minister Shri Prakash Jaiswal uses his account on Facebook to wish his voters on festivals and also as a platform to publicise the achievements of his ministry. His aide says that as elections come near, the minister will regularly interact with his friends and respond to their queries.
BJP leader Kalraj Misra uses his Facebook account mainly to keep his friends update about his political activities but with polls round the corner he is getting a number of requests and inputs about ticket distribution in the BJP.
One Shriniwas Rai Shankar has suggested the candidature of Neelam Sonkar from Lalganj in Azamgarh on Mr Misra’s wall while one Sanjay Sharma has demanded the cancellation of the ticket of the candidate from Sahibabad, citing the latter’s unpopularity as a reason.
BJP leader, I.P. Singh, has used his Facebook account to reveal his pain to his friends.
“Dear friends, I am now 46 years old and I am in trouble. BJP has denied me ticket from Azamgarh Sadar seat only because a party leader wants the seat for his relative. The party speaks against dynastic rule but does the opposite. Sycophancy has become an important factor for getting ticket. If I am denied the ticket, I will stage a fast-unto-death against the party leadership and expose these leaders. There is no internal democracy in the party. I am helpless, please help me and give me advice,” he has posted on his wall.
State Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is another UP politician to use his Facebook account to advantage. Mr Yadav posts his programme, press clippings and other relevant information on his wall and gets requests for joining his party. The young Samajwadi leader, in fact, maintains two accounts and has about 10,000 friends.
UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi rarely responds to posts on her wall but uses her account on Facebook to post her photographs with Rahul Gandhi and also details of her party programmes.