Jharkhand Assembly Polls: Campaigning goes hi-tech in rural areas too, candidates connect through social media

Jamshedpur: In order to woo the tech-savvy electorate, the candidates in the rural areas of Kolhan have also adopted hi-tech means of campaigning. Out of 14 Assembly seats four crucial seats fall in the Kolhan division. In West Singhbhum district, polling would take place in Chaibasa and Jagganathpur and in Seraikela Kharsawan district, Assembly seats at Seraikela and Kharsawan.

Though these seats fall in rural and under developed area but still the candidates are relying on the hi-tech means of campaigning.

In Chaibasa Assembly seat alone, the candidates are on �SMS war� sending over 500 SMS per day. Almost all the candidates are sending messages through cell to reach. JMM candidate from Bahragora Kunal Sarangi has intensified communication through social media. He has been very active on different social media platforms and has been connecting with voters.  

Recently people owning mobile phones in the constituency were flooded with messages from a candidate. According to a campaign manager of a candidate, they would spring up several surprises in campaigning in the coming days.

Anil Mod of BJP said that since the electorate is estimated to comprise a record number of under-35 and first-time voters so the party is focusing on hi-tech means of campaigning.

�Technology is going to play extraordinary role this time, though it is one of our many campaign tools. People in Chaibasa are tech-savvy and we need to address them accordingly,� said Murli Tudu, a JMM activist from Seraikela.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have taken a lead in terms of websites, SMS campaigns and aggressive advertising. Some of the candidates are also using dummy EVM machines to educate the voters about the way to exercise their franchise.

As hoardings and multi-colour posters of candidates have already appeared throughout the constituencies in the last stage of campaigning itself, a variety of state-of-the-art gadgets have been
introduced in the next stage to attract the public.

Of the 14 Assembly seats in Kolhan, seven are with the JMM, one each with Congress and Ajsu Party, and the BJP has five.

The second phase polling for 14 seats will be held on December 7 in Baharagora, Ghatshila (ST), Potka (ST), Jugsalai (SC), Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, Seraikella (ST), Chaibasa (ST), Majhgaon (ST), Jaganathpur (ST), Manoharpur (ST), Chakradharpur (ST), Kharsawan and Kolebira (ST).

 A total of 1617400 voters will decide the fate of these candidatesA total of 1630 polling booths will be set up for the voting comprising 225 at Bahragora, 252 at Ghatshila, 279 at Potka, 318 at Jugsalai, 264 at Jamshedpur East and 292 at Jamshedpur West. Moreover, 7784 polling personnel will be involved in process of voting. A total of 990 at Bahragora, 1109 at Ghatshila, 1228 at Potka, 1399 at Jugsalai, 1452 at Jamshedpur East and 1606 at Jamshedpur.