Following the paperless campaign in Delhi University Student Union elections this time, the student organisations are making use of high-tech social media in order to reach out to students.
Apart from organising rallies and conducting referendum, both ABVP and NSUI are also using the social media platforms as an important tool to mobilise and woo students. Due to a limited budget, less time and ban on printed posters, the student organisations are finding social media as a better option for campaigning.
The Lyngdoh committee has recommended the candidates in student union polls to only campaign using handmade posters and not printed ones.
“We are trying to reduce the use of paper in this election. So, ABVP’s official Delhi Facebook page and national Facebook page is being used to reach out to students along with our official ABVP mobile application. Not only this, we are continously active on Whatsapp, Instagram and Twitter,” ABVP national media coordinator Saket Bahuguna said.
In addition to this, ABVP has also created social media profiles of all the 15 candidates who have been shortlisted for nomination. “Publicity training sessions are being carried out through social media where we are guiding them on how to reach out to the students. We are sending out information about the organisation’s activities and plans for elections through the FB page,” Mr Bahuguna said.
So far, ABVP’s Delhi page has received 40, 000 likes and about 176,318 likes on its national page.
On the other hand, NSUI has also drawn out a special strategy for their promotion on social media. “A Facebook page was created three months before the Dusu elections at college level. And now we have created a Whatsapp group for campaigning,” NSUI national secretary Vivekandanda Pathak said.
A social media team has been made in all the 52 colleges forming a part of Dusu.
