New Delhi:

Congress is organising a workshop dedicated to the social media on 23 August, which is expected to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi.

The workshop follows a two-day media session organised by the party on 22-23 July to tone up the party’s communication strategy and to institutionalise a framework for it in all states ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

There is a realisation in Congress that the principle opposition party BJP and its poll mascot Narendra Modi in particular are way ahead in their presence on social media and there have been attempts by the ruling party at the Centre to take on the Gujarat Chief Minister on Twitter.

The latest example of the political war between Congress and BJP in the cyberspace was ‘www.Fekuexpress.com’, a website developed by Congress supporters on Sunday that ridicules Modi’s claims and promises.  Congress supporters had used different hashtags starting with Feku name on Twitter earlier also to ridicule Modi’s development claims.

BJP supporters had created a hashtag NamoinHyd and there was quite a contest between fekuexpress and NamoinHyd yesterday.

After the July media workshop, the party has set up social media teams in a number of states. There has been a focus in Congress on strengthening the party’s presence on social media this year after Gandhi was anointed as Vice President in January.

The issue of social media preparedness of Congress vis-a-vis BJP had recently figured during the first meeting of the party’s sub-group on manifesto for next Lok Sabha polls.

source:http://www.firstpost.com