Bhopal: The Congress is again making the same mistake in the Damoh by-election as it did during the bypolls to the 28 seats last year. The Congress is active on social media for the Damoh by-election, while the BJP is working on the ground.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has already held a public meeting in Damoh. The BJP’s state unit president, VD Sharma, is again going to Damoh on Sunday. Among the ministers, Gopal Bhargava and Bhupendra Singh have been camping in the district. Co-organisational general secretary Hitanand Sharma is holding command of the election.
All the BJP leaders from Bundelkhand are campaigning in Damoh. The Congress has, however, put its strength on social media. The Congress is posting old videos of the BJP candidate, Rahul Lodhi. The party is trying to create an atmosphere against Lodhi through social media. The social media cell of the party has been asked to polish the image of the Congress’s state president, Kamal Nath.
Most of the places in Damoh are rural. Besides that, there is a caste factor in this election. Against this backdrop, the Congress’s social media campaigning has, so far, failed to create any impact on the minds of voters.
The Congress is focusing on calling Lodhi a “traitor”. Senior Congress politicians are not seen in the campaign. Former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, former state president of the party Arun Yadav and former minister Jitu Patwari have not been seen campaigning for the party. The party’s leaders from Bundelkhand are also keeping away from electioneering. An influential leader from Damoh, Mukesh Nayak, is also away from electioneering. Nayak’s brother has joined the BJP.
During the by-elections to the 28 seats, the Congress tried to create an atmosphere in its favour through social media. Because of the Congress’s social media campaigning, the party leaders claimed that they would win 27 seats out of 28.
The party has, however, won only nine seats. It is only Ajay Tandon, party candidate from Damoh, who is campaigning at present. Therefore, the Congress may find it a problem to compete with the BJP’s booth management and election management.
