Nagpur: As part of its preparations for next year’s Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, the BJP invited social media influencers for an interaction to woo young voters across India.
Local leaders said the top leadership in Delhi has asked all leaders to target social media influencers as they are followed by most of the youths across the country who hardly access mainstream media. Usually, such interactions are held with journalists before elections.
The tribe of such influencers, mostly youngsters, is growing across the country and they have thousands of followers on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The BJP had earlier organized one such meeting in Mumbai with local influencers.
Last week, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with city influencers at his official residence, Devgiri, where he discussed various issues with them. There was also a question and answer session in which he addressed their queries.
BJP leaders said this was part of the poll strategy and soon Union minister Nitin Gadkari too would be interacting with the influencers. They said the BJP was forced to engage with the influencers after CM Eknath Shinde camp contacted them first and started paid promotions of Shiv Sena in Vidarbha, leaving them surprised.
BJP city chief Pravin Datke, who is also the party incharge for the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, said Fadnavis’s interaction with the influencers was to understand their perception of development, their grievances and invite suggestions from them.
“They were also apprised of various programmes to be held under Modi@9,” he said.
Some popular influencers like Shashank Gattewar, who has thousands of followers on Instagram, was elated after receiving a call from the deputy CM’s office.
“It was really kind of him (Fadnavis) to recognize social influencers. We interacted on a variety of topics like jobs, environment and climate change. He also answered all our questions just like an elder friend rather than a politician. We also discussed facilities which all youths wish to have in the city, including a 24×7 nightlife,” he told TOI.
BJYM chief Shivani Dani, who coordinated the Fadnavis meeting, told TOI that interaction was limited to informing the influencers about Modi@9, and reach out to the people with their help on various works done by the BJP government in the last nine years.
A youngster, who attended the meeting, said Fadnavis addressed about the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government in the last nine years.
“He also elaborated on the party’s campaign on Modi@9 and the road ahead. He told us that BJP was going to secure an absolute mandate in next year’s general elections and PM Modi would take India to new heights at the global level. He is the first politician to recognize our efforts,” he said.
Local leaders said the top leadership in Delhi has asked all leaders to target social media influencers as they are followed by most of the youths across the country who hardly access mainstream media. Usually, such interactions are held with journalists before elections.
The tribe of such influencers, mostly youngsters, is growing across the country and they have thousands of followers on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The BJP had earlier organized one such meeting in Mumbai with local influencers.
Last week, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with city influencers at his official residence, Devgiri, where he discussed various issues with them. There was also a question and answer session in which he addressed their queries.
BJP leaders said this was part of the poll strategy and soon Union minister Nitin Gadkari too would be interacting with the influencers. They said the BJP was forced to engage with the influencers after CM Eknath Shinde camp contacted them first and started paid promotions of Shiv Sena in Vidarbha, leaving them surprised.
BJP city chief Pravin Datke, who is also the party incharge for the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, said Fadnavis’s interaction with the influencers was to understand their perception of development, their grievances and invite suggestions from them.
“They were also apprised of various programmes to be held under Modi@9,” he said.
Some popular influencers like Shashank Gattewar, who has thousands of followers on Instagram, was elated after receiving a call from the deputy CM’s office.
“It was really kind of him (Fadnavis) to recognize social influencers. We interacted on a variety of topics like jobs, environment and climate change. He also answered all our questions just like an elder friend rather than a politician. We also discussed facilities which all youths wish to have in the city, including a 24×7 nightlife,” he told TOI.
BJYM chief Shivani Dani, who coordinated the Fadnavis meeting, told TOI that interaction was limited to informing the influencers about Modi@9, and reach out to the people with their help on various works done by the BJP government in the last nine years.
A youngster, who attended the meeting, said Fadnavis addressed about the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government in the last nine years.
“He also elaborated on the party’s campaign on Modi@9 and the road ahead. He told us that BJP was going to secure an absolute mandate in next year’s general elections and PM Modi would take India to new heights at the global level. He is the first politician to recognize our efforts,” he said.
