Analysing the Social Media Footprints of BJP, AAP and Congress Before Gujarat Battle | Explained

With less than a week until the high-octane poll battle in Gujarat concludes, the ruling BJP and newcomer AAP have increased their online campaigning to reach out to voters who use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

In current times, social media has become an important political tool, helping to reach out to voters and inform them of parties’ poll promises before elections. A recent PTI report analysed social media trends of major political parties – BJP, Congress and AAP – in the fray in Gujarat. Let’s take a look:

Congress Focus on ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’

The Congress’ main social media handles have been focused on promoting Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ rather than the party’s campaigning for the two-phase assembly elections on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will begin on December 8.

An examination of the three parties’ Facebook and Twitter accounts last week (November 22-27) revealed that the Congress handles were more focused on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra,’ with 75% of total posts devoted to the yatra.

(The Indian National Congress initiated the Bharat Jodo Yatra earlier. Rahul Gandhi is orchestrating the movement by mobilising the party cadre and general public to walk 3,570 kilometres over 150 days from Kanyakumari, the peninsula’s southern tip, to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.)

Less than 20% of the posts on its Facebook page and Twitter handle were about the party’s campaigning in Gujarat, PTI explained.

AAP Trumps BJP in Gujarat Precedence

During the same time period, however, approximately 40% of posts from the Bhartiya Janata Party’s main Facebook page and Twitter handle were related to Gujarat polls.

Except for Friday, when the count of social posts on the Gujarat elections was the lowest for the BJP and the other two parties, the flow of assembly election-related posts was nearly constant over the last week.

The Aam Aadmi Party, on the other hand, was ahead of both the BJP and the Congress in terms of social media posts from its main handles, as every second post from its main handles was related to the Gujarat elections.

On Sunday, the AAP’s main Facebook and Twitter accounts shared more than 95% of the content related to the party’s activities in Gujarat.

Twitter Tales

Only 15% of the tweets sent by the Congress’ official Twitter handle between November 21 and November 27 were about the Gujarat elections. Only 42 of the 280 tweets sent during these seven days were about the party’s campaigns and rallies in Gujarat.

On Monday, the Congress’ main Twitter handle posted 14 of 35 tweets about the Gujarat elections (Nov 21). Similarly, 5 out of 23 tweets were sent on Tuesday, 3 out of 42 on Wednesday, 4 out of 47 on Thursday, 1 out of 41 on Friday, three on Saturday, and 12 out of 45 on Sunday (Nov 27), said the PTI report.

Facebook Facing

Similarly, 22% of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were about the Gujarat state elections. During the same time period, there were 53 Facebook posts about Gujarat elections.

On the other hand, from Monday (Nov 21) to Sunday (Nov 27), 75% of posts from the main handles (198 tweets and 194 Facebook posts) were about Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Monday had the most tweets (14) and Friday had the fewest.

The Congress party has 9 million followers on Twitter and 6.3 million followers on Facebook.

Consistency in BJP

BJP On the party’s public rallies in Gujarat, the BJP kept the flow of tweets and Facebook posts from its main handles going. Between November 21 and November 27, more than 40% of its tweets and more than 35% of its Facebook posts were about the party’s campaigning in Gujarat.

On Monday, the BJP’s main Twitter handle posted 23 of 32 tweets about the Gujarat elections, 38 of 63 tweets on Tuesday, 20 of 35 tweets on Wednesday, 13 of 46 tweets on Thursday, 4 of 43 tweets on Friday, 15 of 40 tweets on Saturday, and 14 of 51 tweets on Sunday.

Similarly, 37% of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were about the Gujarat elections. During the same time period, there were 63 Facebook posts about the Gujarat elections.

The BJP has 19.5 million followers on Twitter and 16 million followers on Facebook.

AAP and Arvind

AAP The AAP, which has made an aggressive entry into Gujarat, promoted its campaigning and the rallies of its leader, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, via its main Twitter handle and Facebook page. During the same time period, AAP’s main social media handles shared 50% of its tweets and 52% of its Facebook posts about the Gujarat elections.

On its leaders’ public rallies in Gujarat, the party’s main Twitter handle posted 131 out of 260 tweets and 81 out of 156 Facebook posts. The main Twitter handle tweeted 25 out of 33 times about the Gujarat elections on Monday, 31 out of 40 times on Tuesday, 11 out of 30 times on Wednesday, 13 out of 38 times on Thursday, 6 out of 50 times on Friday, 13 out of 36 times on Saturday, and 32 times on Sunday.

Similarly, 81 of 156 Facebook posts, or 93% of all posts on Sunday, were about the Gujarat state elections. On the same day, its Twitter handle only posted 32 of 33 tweets about Gujarat.

The AAP has 6.4 million followers on Twitter and 5.5 million followers on Facebook.

With inputs from PTI

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