Feeling the heat from BRS, Congress wants social media as weapon

Facing criticism from the BRS about its failures, the Congress party is turning to social media supporters to help fight back and improve its public image

Hyderabad: Feeling the heat with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) successfully and repeatedly exposing its faults and failures, especially in connection with the implementation of the Six Guarantees, the Congress party is now hoping that its social media soldiers can help it fight back.

Accordingly, the party is now offering perks and incentives to those who fight on its behalf on social media. This apart, the party is also promising different positions at mandal and constituency levels. To this effect, the party recently organized a Social Media Coordinators Workshop and meeting at Gandhi Bhavan. AICC Social Media and Digital Platforms chairperson Supriya Shrinate was the chief guest for the workshop. The programme saw AICC Telangana incharge Deepadas Munshi admitting that the Congress in Telangana was lagging behind in the social media war.

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“Every month, whoever goes viral on social media platforms and secures the top position in the State will be given a prize,” she announced.

The party is also issuing a ‘Smart Card’, which would contain the individual’s entire medical record. This apart, accidental insurance coverage worth Rs.5 lakh is being offered to the social media warriors, ranging from constituency incharges and Parliament constituency incharges to mandal presidents. These smart cards will extend health insurance, medical care and other welfare schemes of the Congress government in the State to dedicated social media coordinators and warriors.Former MLC K Nageshwar Rao was also invited to address the gathering. He also encouraged the participants to use social media effectively to spread awareness on the party’s work.

Meanwhile, TPCC working president T Jagga Reddy went ballistic against the BRS social media, charging that it was targeting the Congress government to defame it and spread false news. Addressing media persons at Gandhi Bhavan here on Saturday, the former MLA also used abusive language against those who posted a video in which he is seen making objectionable comments on the Sangareddy District Collector. Admitting that he had abused the Collector, Jagga Reddy said it was an old video from when the BRS was in power.

“The Collector was not responding to my phone calls and I abused him. But it is being projected as if I scolded the current Collector,” he said.