Rajasthan: Smart strategy, backroom battlers' role in CM Bhajan Lal Sharma's historic win
Correspondent
NewsBits.in
When Bhajan Lal Sharma, a first-time legislator was chosen as Chief Minister, it surprised the political analysts and also the sections of media.
Even political experts and seasoned journalists were totally clueless and caught off guard about the historic win and Sharma's emergence as a formidable leader.
Besides, no one seemed to have any idea how Sharma could win so convincingly and wielded such clout that he was made the chief minister of a large amd an important state.
The entire media ecosystem was apparently disconnected with reality and the fact that micro-management now plays such an important role has come to fore after Sharma's victory and his taking over as Rajasthan CM.
The historic win came as there were men working behind the scenes. The days of traditional election campaigning are over and now it's time to set political narrative through publicity blitz, swaying people and getting real trends from the ground.
Subsequently, it's a complex process that included data crunching as well as effective social media campaign. Understanding the electorate's mind and to ensure proper social media plan that bolsters the candidate's chances and create positive branding for him in the constituency and even outside too.
Take for example, the role of Ved Prakash Sharma, who runs ChunavNeeti, and was instrumental in devising the complete social media campaign and backroom strategy for Bhajan Lal Sharma, who hails from Bharatpur. Sharma naturally wanted ticket from Bharatpur.
However, the party fielded Bhajan Lal from Sanganer. Yet, the strategist Ved Prakash Sharma and his team took up the challenge, started from the scratch. The image creation, branding and planning apart from policies and strategies to catch imagination of electorate, needs extreme dedication.
Though perceived as outsider, he trounced veteran Congress leader Pushpendra Bharadwaj. The margin of victory suggests that how the BJP leader's media presence, strategy and image dazzled the voters, eclipsing the rival candidate.
It's indeed hard job and demands complete team work. Sulabh Singh, who is associated with the PR and content creation, says that the effective political strategy is formulated, the factors on ground are analyzed and a multi-pronged plan is made to turn the tables.
Says, Ved Prakash, "it is a process that involves research, ground work and data analysis other than promotional campaign and multiple ways to push the candidate ahead, projecting his strengths in a way that he outsmarts and outdoes the rival".
