Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India]: As the battleground for assembly elections in Chhattisgarh is all set with the announcement of polling dates, Congress’s ‘War Room’ is extensively exploiting social media platforms, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other modes to highlight the performance of government and to counter the alleged propaganda of opposition parties and fake news.
Realising the importance, influence and impact of social media platforms as well as reels, content writers as well as video editors along with tele callers are working round the clock in the ‘War Room’ of Congress. Considering that BJP enters the poll arena with a strong IT cell, Congress is also banking on technology to deal with allegations and propaganda and highlight its works.
Ayush Pandey, National Coordinator of AICC (social media and digital communication) has said that apart from working for the publicity of the party and the state government’s work, the ‘War Room’ has been assigned with the task of dealing with fake news, propaganda and political allegations.
Shedding details about the ‘War Room’, Pandey said “The ‘War Room’ has been established for election management and it has been separated into campaign management unit, ground management unit, data intelligence unit, political intelligence unit, social media management unit and a call centre.
The ground campaign management unit is looking after the current issues ongoing in the politics here and ensuring the reach of the party to beneficiaries of welfare schemes.
Likewise, the data intelligence unit has been assigned the task of collecting data related to booths, organisations and beneficiaries of the schemes at the constituency level. Political intelligence unit helps us in taking forward the political discussion going across the state, respond to the opposition’s allegations, convey the party’s message to people, improve the trust that people have in us and strengthen the ongoing works.”
Ayush Pandey said that the unit is working on setting up the digital narrative and also deals in preparing digital content.
“Besides, it also prepares designs for publications as well as advertisements. The ‘War Room’ also has a call centre wherein 70-80 people each in two shifts work continuously and make around 20000 calls a day,” he added.
He also alleged that the BJP has a strategy and character of scaring people and turning them towards communal issues, adding that despite being in power for 15 years, they only raise emotional issues that have nothing to do with public interest.
“They should have asked us how many schools, hospitals and development works were being carried out by Congress as compared to the previous BJP-led government,” he said.
WhatsApp has some shortcomings and rumours are being spread through this messaging application, said the national coordinator, elaborating that to deal with such fake information, a fake news monitoring cell has been constituted in the war room.
“The ‘War Room’ keeps a close watch on such fake news and acts legally. A team of around 120-150 persons are working at the war room,” he said.
