New entrants in Kerala’s election race are looking at social media to help bring in the votes. LDF candidates M V Nikesh Kumar and M Swaraj have taken to social media and messaging platforms in a big way to campaign for the upcoming elections.
Former journalist and editor of news channel Reporter TV Nikesh Kumar who is contesting elections from Azhikode, a coastal village in Kannur district, has a Facebook page where he has put up video news stories especially made on issues plaguing his constituency. Good Morning Azhikode is an example of how Nikesh has integrated his journalistic prowess with his election campaign. The two-minute videos talk about pressing issues in Azhikode like depleting mangrove cover, need for institutions that provide higher education and restoration of the Valapattanam Heritage Town among others.
The videos that start with dramatic music and sweeping visuals have Nikesh talking about the issue at hand and suggesting solutions for the same. The video on Azhikode mangroves talks about conservation and encouraging research on the mangrove forests, while the video about higher education promises a lot of things like special training centers for people pursuing higher education, free Wi-Fi and women-friendly toilets being some of them.
The page also has videos by prominent faces like M. Jayachandran and Murali Gopi wishing Nikesh Kumar “All the best” for the coming elections.
M Swaraj who is contesting elections from Tripunithura also has a very strong presence on Facebook. The page Selfie 4 Swaraj, which has over 13,000 likes, is a page where people from the state and even outside the country have uploaded videos asking voters to vote for Swaraj, including little children who end the video with a “Laal Salam”. Read an interview with Swaraj.
Social media is proving to be a handy tool this election season.