NEW DELHI/RAIPUR: As the Ambikapur Assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh witnesses a strong electoral due between the BJP and the Congress, the latter has been making a mark on the social media with its campaign 'Surguja with Rahul'.
Even as the Ambikapur Assembly seat of Surguja district saw a war of words between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the past week, the Congress stole a march over the ruling BJP in the state with its new social media campaign.
While the on-ground battle was as intense as ever, the war of words on social media was ruled yet again by Congress Party with its hashtag 'SurgujaWithRahul'.
Congress Party attributed the idea of people's manifesto, brought by the party, as Mr Gandhi's vision, elaborating upon the various propositions enlisted in it.
A special song 'kandhon Se Milte hain kandhe' has also been launched to highlight Chhattisgarh's spirit of marching towards days of glory alongside Congress Party's ideology.
Congress had also trended #SurgujaRejectsModi on the day of PM Modi's visit to counter his narrative through the use of his 2013 Ambikapur speech videos.
Political observers said that 'SurgujaWithRahul' marked yet another top trending hashtag for Congress on Twitter making to its list of successful hashtags! In the Congress bastion of Ambikapur, where CLP leader T S Singh Deo is looking for a hat-trick in these elections, the Congress campaign 'Badhte Chalo Ambikapur' has been trending on the social media.
With 'Badhte Chalo Ambikapur' and now 'Sarguja with Rahul' trending on social media, a relatively lesser known place such as Ambikapur has gained national recognition, which political observers attribute to Mr Deo's social media prowess.
Considering social media has traditionally been BJP's expertise, consistent trending of Congress' hashtags is showing that party has amplified its digital media game!.
With these two hashtags trending, the Congress Party has managed to bring a relatively lesser known place like Surguja become a part of national political discourse! Ambikapur, it seems is the hotbed of politics at the moment for Chhattisgarh, with Prime Minister Modi's social media machinery putting in all their effort to rule the platforms.
Mr Deo, also popularly known as 'Baba' is also the Congress manifesto committee chairman, who toured the state to amass suggestions for the 'Jan Ghoshna Patra'.
With just two days to go for the second round of polling, Congress Party's social media successes have ensured a happy outing for the party's prospects, but it remains to be seen whether this social media lead gets converted on ground as well.
On November 16, the PM targetted Mr Gandhi and chairperson of the Congress parliamentary party Sonia Gandhi in a rally at Ambikapur.
Just a day after PM Modi, the Congress president addressed the public meeting in Ambikapur.
The assembly elections to the state of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram are seen as a semifinal between the ruling BJP and the Congress prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.