BJP or Cong in Himachal? Here’s What Social Media Analysis Reveals

Which political party got the most social media engagement in Himachal Pradesh?

Electoral battles are no longer restricted to television studios or newspaper columns, but are also being fought on different social media platforms. Aggressive hashtagging is now considered equal to politicos embarking on roadshows to campaign for their respective parties or even taking seaplane rides for #vikas.

Let's look at Himachal Pradesh as an example. The state recorded its highest voter turnout in the 2017 Assembly polls, with 74.45 percent of those on the electoral list practising their right to franchise on 9 November. But before the voters were inked, two rival parties – the BJP and the Congress – locked horns on Twitter and Facebook while also maximising their reach.

Here are some key findings of an analysis on the social media use (only Twitter and Facebook) by the BJP and the Congress in Himachal Pradesh before the Assembly polls.

(The data was collected by Vaizle, a social media analytic tool, from 1 September 2017 to 9 November 2017)

Preferred Social Media Platform

Facebook was the most used social media platform for sharing content by political leaders. Sixty-six percent of the total content was shared on Facebook, and the 33 percent on Twitter.

Congress candidates were more active on social media (Facebook and Twitter) than those from the BJP throughout the election campaign.

Top Congress and BJP Candidates on Social Media

Congress’ Asha Kumari from Dalhousie constituency topped the activity chart with 424 videos. The BJP’s most active candidate on social media was Rajeev Bindal, followed by the party’s chief ministerial candidate, Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Popular #Hashtags

The Congress used hashtags more strategically than the BJP, focussing on a key hashtag #MissionHP2017 which was used 151 times.

Social Media Engagement Toppers

In terms of engagement on social media, the Congress emerged victorious. It got 65 percent of the total engagements, followed by the BJP with 33 percent. Independent candidates got a meagre 2 percent of the total engagement.

Virbhadra Singh, the state’s incumbent Chief Minister, received maximum engagement on his social media activities, followed by BJP’s CM pick, Prem Kumar Dhumal.

The Influencers

Kangra has 15 constituencies, most for any district in Himachal Pradesh. According to Vaizle social media analysis, the Congress will win Kangra with eight to 12 seats.

And the Winner Is...

The analysis concludes that political candidates of both parties shared most of their content on Facebook.

The Congress was more active than the BJP on social media and “deployed a more organised hashtag strategy.” Based on social media engagement data, the Congress is more popular in Himachal Pradesh. On an average, they received more engagement on their every post than the BJP.

Engagement per activity for Virbhadra Singh was almost twice than that of Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Nevertheless, both the Congress and the BJP had a remarkable presence on social media. If these social media trends convert to votes, the Congress will lead in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017.

However, exit polls predict a victory for the BJP in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.