It was the end of August and Congress' Ahmed Patel had won Rajya Sabha elections, in a dramatic fashion earlier in the month. The grand old party was jubilant and the BJP was trying to digest the defeat—after all it had tried everything possible to stop Patel from getting another term in the Upper House.
Around this time, the campaign with a catchphrase “vikas gando thayo che” (development has gone berserk) hit the social media. It didn't take long for the campaign to go viral. A dig at the ruling BJP's tall claims of development in Gujarat, it trended for nearly three months. Pictures, short sentences and short videos, formed part of the campaign.
The saffron party, which is usually ahead in the social media campaign, was caught off-guard. The party alleged that it was the handiwork of the Congress. Explains Gujarat Congress' IT Cell head, Rohan Gupta, “It began with a volunteer and a Congress worker putting up on the FB. We immediately took it from there and thereafter, it was all for the masses. They participated.”
The BJP first ignored it but as it continued to trend, the leaders had to acknowledge it in the speeches and give answers. The real answer came in the form of a 3.54-minute film by Ahmedabad-based visual executor Manish Baradia.
The movie shows a barber's shop and few youngsters. A youth begins by saying they do not want a prime minister like Modi, who takes decisions independently, works hard, orders surgical strikes, demonetisation... If he fails, no PM will dare to address corruption in India for another 100 years, it says. When a reporter at the barber's shop asks for the youth's number, he says, “Hun chu Gujarat, Hun chu Vikas” (I am development, I am Gujarat).
Forty-nine-year-old Baradia's association with Modi dates back to 2001 when he was summoned along with his partner to make a film on rehabilitation post the earthquake. It was a film made to thank those who extended help to the quake victims. His association with the PM continued thereafter.
“Forget chief minister, I was meeting a politician for the first time. I was amazed. It was a learning experience for me,” Baradia said.
There were more short films after barber shop one, featuring noted stage artist Manoj Joshi and BJP MP Paresh Rawal among others. Most of the artists acted voluntarily
Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya says, “We took the social media trend (against us) as an opportunity. We came out with more vigor, more effectively. With more vengeance.”
Gupta says, “The Congress has been working on its social media section for the last five years and hence we could come up with a quick response to the barber's shop campaign.” “hun chu pakko Gujarati” (I am real smart Gujarati).
As compared to the BJP outsourcing the campaign, the Congress campaign has been done in house. “Only our latest campaign, Congress aave che, Navsarjan lave che” (Congress is coming, bringing resurgence),” has been outsourced.
Both the parties have scores of youth handling the social media – official accounts and surrogate accounts.
Baradia says the research comes from the BJP and he then gives the inputs. “It has been easy to do campaigns for the BJP as we have to bring out the reality,” he says. Interestingly, in the past, Baradia has also been approached by the Congress but he says since he started doing campaigns for the BJP, he has stuck to it and declined other offers. The success of their campaign, according to him, is that they are showing the long-term vision.
Gupta, 38, too claims that their campaigns have been successful. “mara hara chetri gaya” (they cheated us) is a short one that talks on false promises of the BJP. “It has been an instant hit,” Gupta says, adding that everyday they have been releasing two to three short takes.
Unlike 2012, the Congress has given competition to the BJP in the social media as well. In fact, it was the Congress that set the agenda. One of their campaigns, hun chu pakko Gujarati (loosely translating into I am real Gujarati) has also been well received.
Gupta says in today's world the campaigns do create an impact on the minds of voters. He agrees that it is difficult to change the mentality of die-hard Modi fans or the committed voters, but he considers it as the Congress' success that people are watching their campaigns till the end.
