Cong adopts multi-pronged media strategy in polls; 20,000 volunteers spreading Rahul's message: Sources

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The Congress has adopted a multi-pronged social media strategy with Rahul Gandhi directly reaching out to people via the 'speak to the camera' mode on various issues and deploying of 20,000 volunteers to spread his messages and views on WhatsApp, party sources said on Thursday.

The core theme of the outreach is to directly connect with people and get feedback about their problems, aspirations and come up with solutions in the form of the party's much talked about Nyay Patra manifesto, they said.

According to the sources, more than 88 lakh people have downloaded its manifesto from Congress website so far.

Apart from his letter to party workers, rallies and press conferences, Gandhi is connecting directly with people through his interactive sessions such as Yuva Nyay Manch, lectures on Samajik Nyay and his outreach to farmers and women in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.

The former Congress president's YouTube channel has 5.6 million subscribers and had about 350 million views in last one month, the sources said, adding his Instagram account has over 190 million views and 7.9 million subscribers.

He also has 25.5 million followers on Twitter, 6.3 million followers on his WhatsApp channel and 70 lakh on Facebook.

Gandhi had walked more than 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in the Bharat Jodo Yatra and then undertaken the 6,000-km-long hybrid Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai.

Through these two yatras, Gandhi engaged with millions of farmers, youngsters, women, labourers, traders, SCs/STs/OBCs, and made a direct outreach to them.

This also helped the party to understand the pulse of the ground and shape the campaign to keep that genuine feedback from ground, the sources said.

Gandhi has been using the 'speak to the camera' mode to reach out to people on various issues.

"There are 20,000 committed volunteers who are directly in touch with more than 5 lakh people via WhatsApp. These volunteers then share the posts/video messages/You Tube Links of Gandhi's messages, speeches and views instantly with people through WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms," a party source said.

"These volunteers are in direct touch with Mr Rahul Gandhi's office. And they regularly provide feedback on each and every content that is being shared/released on social media platforms of his," the source said. PTI ASK ZMN