The creditable victory of the Congress in Telangana stands as a testament to its adept voter outreach model, with campaign strategists enhancing their digital and offline presence.
Data from the Lokniti-CSDS survey reveal the Congress (52%) and the BRS (52%) boasting equal figures in virtual voters’ outreach programmes via phone calls and recorded voice messages. The BJP (44%) closely followed suit, while the BSP trailed behind at 10% (Table 1). The Congress (78%) excelled in the outreach programme, too, with its workers visiting more voters’ homes compared to the BRS (76%), while the BJP trailed behind at 63% (Table 2).
An intriguing pattern also emerged among voters who participated in election campaigns (38%), attended rallies (30%), and engaged in door-to-door canvassing (25%). These voters exhibited a higher inclination to vote in favour of the Congress over the BRS (Table 3).
The Congress approach, blending online and on-ground strategies, played a decisive role in its win.
Devesh Kumar and Rishikesh Yadav are researchers at Lokniti-CSDS
