The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has emerged as a formidable force in Indian politics, has hired a Singapore based agency to boost its social media presence and reach out to more voters ahead of the 2024 general elections. The agency, which has not been named yet, will help the party design and execute its online campaigns across various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
The AAP, which was founded in 2012 by anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal, has been using social media as a key tool to communicate its agenda and achievements to the public. The party has over 14 million followers on Twitter and over 9 million likes on Facebook, making it one of the most popular political parties on social media in India. The party also has official accounts for its state units, leaders and student wing.
The party has been praised for its innovative and transparent use of social media, such as live streaming its meetings and rallies, posting video messages from Kejriwal on pressing issues, and using the iconic imagery of the broom (jhaadu), its election symbol. The party has also used social media to counter the attacks and allegations from its rivals, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the ruling party at the Centre.
However, the party also faces challenges and competition on the social media front, as other parties have also stepped up their online game. The BJP, which has over 38 million followers on Twitter and over 22 million likes on Facebook, has a well-oiled IT cell that runs aggressive and coordinated campaigns to promote its leaders and policies. The Congress, which is the main opposition party at the Centre, has over 16 million followers on Twitter and over 5 million likes on Facebook, and has been trying to revive its online presence under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
The AAP hopes that by hiring a professional agency from Singapore, it will be able to enhance its social media strategy and reach out to more voters, especially the youth and urban middle class, who are active on online platforms. The party also aims to expand its base beyond Delhi, where it is in power for the third consecutive term, and Punjab, where it recently won a historic mandate in the assembly elections.
The party has expressed its ambition to contest all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and all 60 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh in the 2024 elections. It is also eyeing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Kerala, where it has some presence or potential. The party is also open to forming alliances with other opposition parties to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but it depends on the attitude of the Congress, which has not denounced the Centre’s ordinance that curtails the powers of the Delhi government over administrative services.
The AAP believes that by using social media effectively, it can showcase its model of governance and development in Delhi and Punjab, where it has delivered on its promises of providing free electricity, water, health care, education and transport to the people. It also hopes to highlight the failures and misdeeds of the Modi government at the Centre, such as mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic, rising inflation, unemployment and corruption, and undermining democracy and federalism.
The party hopes that by hiring a Singapore based agency, it will be able to tap into the expertise and experience of a global firm that has worked with various clients across sectors and regions. The agency will also help the party overcome some of the challenges and limitations that it faces in India, such as lack of resources, manpower and infrastructure. The agency will also help the party adapt to the changing trends and preferences of the online users, who are constantly exposed to new content and platforms.
The AAP hopes that by conquering social media platforms with reference to upcoming elections in 2024, it will be able to emerge as a real challenger to the BJP and offer a credible alternative to the people of India.