LUCKNOW: With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections inching closer, the state's main opposition, Samajwadi Party, is set to tame the digital landscape with a strategic outreach to become fully operational in the next six months.
The party is out to ramp up its digital presence after the launch of its "Vision India" initiative targeting youth and rural voters in mid-November last year. The party is building a "digital army" to counter the ruling government's narrative and manage its online presence.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who has been meeting social media influencers in the state, plans to launch a talk show on the party's YouTube channel.
Recently, the SP chief met over 200 influencers active on various social media platforms. He met them at the party office in Lucknow as part of a “digital democracy dialogue”.
The party is focusing on digital constituency in order to shape a network to augment its narratives through digital media, targeting the voters.
The party had launched the Samajwadi Party TV in August last year and has a YouTube channel that gives daily updates on the party's point of view on prevailing issues and statements of Akhilesh Yadav.
The YouTube channel is handled by party spokesperson Naved Siddiqui, a former popular radio jockey, who presents Samajwadi News from 8 pm to 9 pm daily. As per party sources, it was Naved Siddiqui's idea to host the Samajwadi News on YouTube to amplify the party’s message through digital media.
Sources said that while most of those influencers whom Akhilesh invited and met in Lucknow recently have a good social media following, they were selected after screening their social media content.
'Vision India: Plan, Develop, Ascent’ Summits' was launched by the party last year, wherein Akhilesh Yadav interacted with experts of the field concerned and young minds, listening to their opinions and sharing his vision on various issues.
Sources also said older platforms, such as Samajwadi Party Prahari, are also being revived. As per senior SP leaders, the formation of a dedicated social media wing is also under consideration.