As the polling in all five states came to an end, here is a look at how political parties took to online campaigning during the pandemic.
The voting process in all the five poll-bound states has come to an end on March 7, with the nation anxiously waiting for the fate of political parties. The results of the elections will be out on March 10, with one of the most intense battles between political parties reaching its conclusion.
The months leading up to the assembly elections are filled with full-blown political campaigns by prominent leaders, who release detailed manifestos about what their plan will be once they emerge victorious in the assembly polls.
During the peak of the election campaigning, the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit, putting a halt to election rallies and roadshows. The Election Commission further released a list of guidelines for political parties for their polling rallies and campaigning.
Here is how the majority of the parties advanced with their campaigns-
Social media campaigning
Major political parties such as BJP, Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party decided to expand their reach through their official social media handles, which have millions of followers. Parties appealed to the youth of the states by spreading their messages through Instagram and Twitter posts, videos, and even memes.
Digital rallies
Since there was a ban on physical rallies and roadshows, BJP and Samajwadi Party decided to reach the voters through virtual rallies. Digital rallies were hosted on the official websites and social media handles of the political parties and through the handles of political leaders.
Digital manifestos
Ditching the traditional ways of popularizing their manifestos through electoral rallies and speeches, political parties such as BJP and Congress uploaded their detailed schemes listed in the manifestos through social media and virtual rallies.
Advertisements
With the extension of the ban on rallies, political parties increased their budget dedicated to advertisements. Web-based and television ads for parties saw a significant increase, with advertisements and social media also witnessing a major boom.
The last day of the election campaigning was on March 6, with the last phase of the UP elections 2022 ending on March 7. Results for all the five poll-bound states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab – are set to be out on March 10.
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 "Assembly Elections 2022: How political parties switched to digital campaigning amid Covid-19 third wave")
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