Congress to make right use of social media for polls: Priya Dutt

Raipur, June  27, 2013

AICC secretary and deputy incharge of Congress media department Priya Dutt on Thursday said the congress wanted to make right use of social media considering upcoming assembly polls in five states in 2013 end and general elections in 2014. “My job is to update media department in every state. So, there will be reshuffle and additional appointments in media departments of our state units in coming days,” said Dutt while talking to scribes at Congress Bhawan.

Dutt, who was on day-long visit to Raipur to interact with PCC media department and convey message of party vice president Rahul Gandhi regarding revamping of media departments of state units, said her prime responsibility is to upgrade infrastructure and provide requisite manpower to the media department of every state unit. 

“The objective of is to improve communication network between party’s national and state cardres. With hi-tech set-up in media departments, there will be better coordination between state units and central leadership.  We will soon link media centres of all state units to our central unit through internet. Our effort is to strengthen the party in social media, research and communication,” she added.

She further said that the party had always focused on works instead of propaganda. “Our concentration is in working for public welfare, not to gain publicity,” she said.

Admitting that the Congress was weak in social media she said in coming days the party would focus in hi-tech campaigns. 

 “We will soon appoint a few more spokespersons in Chhattisgarh to beef up the party and reach to the common people more effectively,” she said.

According to information, Dutt will appoint five more spokespersons in Chhattisgarh unit. In this connection, she held talks with acting PCC chief Charandas Mahant, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey and the media department on Thursday. The party’s is likely to announce names of new spokespersons after July 1, 2013. 

Just recently, Gandhi had renamed party’s media department as communication, publicity and publication department and inducted several new faces including Dutt who will assist AICC general secretary and department head Ajay Makan.  According to information, he has assigned job the Makan and Dutt to prepare new generation of spokespersons who could strike balance between aggression and calm while putting party’s stand before media. 

In Chhattisgarh, the media department of state Congress witnessed slight change during PCC president Nandkumar Patel’s regime. Patel appointed five media persons – Shailesh Nitin Trivedi,  Amir Ali Farishta, Mahendra Chhabda, Rajesh Bissa and Sushil Anand Shukla. Patel was planning to expand the media department but he could not as he got killed in naxal attack on May 25, 2013. 

The party insiders say that fresh lot of spokespersons in the media department might include new as well as old faces.