New Delhi, Sep 29: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ready with an extensive WhatsApp-based campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, for which nearly one lakh 'cell phone pramukh' will be appointed. Equipped with a smartphone, each of these pramukhs will oversee circulation of specially designed campaign material on WhatsApp in their areas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been briefed about the strategy at a meeting with senior BJP leaders about three weeks back, reported Hindustan Times. According to the plan, a 'cell phone pramukh' will create three WhatsApp groups for each polling station, each group consisting of 256 persons (the maximum allowed on the platform). NaMo App Invites Micro Donations, Volunteers For BJP Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

“We believe the next election is going to be fought on WhatsApp. We are getting ready for it," an insider told the newspaper. The central IT cell of the BJP will create specially designed campaign materials, on the party’s welfare schemes, PM Modi’s personality, triple talaq, Ram temple and other issues. These materials will be passed to 'cell phone pramukhs' via state units. BJP to Apply 'T20' Formula for 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

The 'cell phone pramukhs' will further circulate the materials on the WhatsApp groups operated by them. Under the 'booth action plan', prepared by BJP national president Amit Shah, state units have been asked to compile a list of smartphone-carrying voters in every polling station. The identified voters will be added to such WhatsApp groups.

Speaking on the BJP's strategy, Sanjay Kumar, director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies said the poll campaign has become more digital as compared to past, adding that "it would be an overstatement to say that the next poll will be a WhatsApp election". However, he admitted that whichever party leveraged the platform the best would benefit from it.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 29, 2018 04:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).