In varying degrees—of intensity and success—political parties have embraced technology to spread the V-word. Forbes India goes behind the scenes
It’s a hot day in Bangalore. At an Odiya association’s medical camp in a small school, under a shamiana, a small group is listening to a man extol the virtues of the chief guest. When, finally, he cedes the microphone, the chief guest speaks, briefly, succinctly, mentions his past encounters with Odisha, then takes questions. An audience member begins a detailed, loaded query. An official interrupts to say there should be no political questions—mystifying, since the chief guest is a political candidate on the campaign trail—but he answers gamely. After he is whisked away to his car, one of his team SMSes, apologising for not being able to arrange interview time, and invites us to another event that afternoon. There, the candidate is addressing a conference of chartered accountants. He speaks knowledgeably, without notes, about taxation and wins a round of applause. Afterwards, he is mobbed: People ask him questions, ask to take pictures with him. He smiles a greeting. I ask him, “How’s it going?” Nandan Nilekani shrugs, chuckles wryly, and says, “Different game, different rules!”
Derek O’Brien, former advertising professional and originally famous as a television quizmaster, would seem like a natural apostle for technology. No, says the Rajya Sabha MP, and national spokesperson of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.
And the team is international: “We have an IT team in the US—50-60 percent of videos are edited in the US. Half of the team hasn’t met the other half because we are all volunteers. It surprises me that things still roll!”
(This story appears in the 18 April, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)