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Narendra Modi is known for using social media platforms such as Twitter to directly communicate with the people. So, no surprises when on Wednesday he sent out a series of tweets from his personal Twitter handle calling for strengthening voter awareness efforts across India and the need to motivate people to vote in large numbers in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
He even tagged rival politicians such as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar and Akhilesh Yadav in these tweets. This, according to brand expert Harish Bijoor, was taking the battle into the Opposition camp.
Brand experts said Modi’s tweets today were consistent with his strategy to adopt unconventional means for outreach — Mann Ki Baat radio programme, townhalls and video conferences — while some felt that this could be viewed as his way of seeking a subtle endorsement from renowned personalities for a majority government in power.
Taps sports icons, actors
He urged Bollywood celebrities Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and sports stars MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, to take up the cause of increasing voter awareness to inspire record-breaking voter turnout. He even reached out to leaders of the business community such as Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra.
Bijoor said, “This is the PM’s outreach at its best. He is known to be unconventional in his means. After running several schemes that reach out to the masses, he now wants the masses to turn up at the polling booth and renew a mandate for the next five years.”
Naresh Arora, political strategist and Director of political digital campaign management company DesignBoxed, said, the subtle use of association with pioneers in various fields has been capitalised by brand Modi to frame a public perception of his association with these stars.
Meanwhile, N Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, felt that this can also be viewed by voters as a way of seeking a subtle endorsement from leaders and icons in various fields.
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