HYDERABAD: IT, Industries and MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao is a politician of the new age. Being tech savvy, he uses social media platforms to build not only his persona but also the image of the party. In fact, he is way ahead of politicians from all the other hues in making use of technology to reach out to the public and his party workers.
By his own admission, Rama Rao begins his day with a smartphone in his hands, getting his messages across to the party workers and the people of the State. "I spend at least two hours on social media. Apart from this, I go through all the newspapers in the morning to know what’s happening where," he says.
The TRS is also way ahead of other parties in using the social media during the elections. The party has been grooming its workers as social media soldiers to counter the attacks of the Opposition. Rama Rao, who is also the TRS working president, had nailed the art of social media engagement. Sharing his social media experiences with Express, he said that he spent around two hours every day on Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook.
The Minister, who is constantly busy with party affairs and matter of State, takes a break late in the night to reply to party workers, opposition leaders and the public on social media. "I have two mobiles — one with an official SIM and another with a personal SIM. I’m part of WhatsApp groups with officials of various departments. On my personal number, I’m part of family groups. In fact, I’m a member of more than 100 WhatsApp groups, which includes an exclusive group for Sircilla," Rama Rao explained.
"When I’m travelling by flight, I use that time to post messages or giving replies. Once I’ve landed, all the messages will be delivered automatically. Unlike others, I personally go through all the messages I receive on WhatsApp and Twitter. Social media is a great tool to meet the people in real time," the Minister said.
However, Rama Rao does not use Instagram. "My daughter is very active on Instagram. She often posts videos on Instagram and I watch them occasionally," he said.