The group is responsible for the Congress party’s strong online presence
Volunteers working at Rizwan Arshad's war room. (Left) Congress candidate from Bangalore Central, Rizwan Arshad along with MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao campaigns in Gandhinagar on Wednesday -R.Samuel
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office stands proud on Queens Road, with larger-than-life posters of Rahul Gandhi gazing down on the busy street. However, all the election time action is happening elsewhere, in a narrow bylane nearby where the party’s back office is located, invisible to those who are not in the know.
About 30 people sit inside the quiet office, slaving away at their computers. Youtube videos, social networking and Website content are generated here, and the group is responsible for the Congress party’s strong online presence.
These are volunteers who have put their regular jobs on hold for Congress’ Bangalore Central candidate Rizwan Arshad, vowing to ensure that he wins the election.
Inside the ‘op centre’, people from different teams don’t interact with each other directly.
“The campaign is never fully revealed,” said a source. “That’s the best way to keep it a secret.” Even so, the pieces come together to form a well-knit campaign, titled “One Among Us, For Us.”
“I heard of this through a mutual friend and I think Rizwan is a great guy. Besides, being part of the campaign gives me a high. I have been doing this since the last three elections,” said Bhagath Reddy, a marketing professional in his thirties. “I make it a point to volunteer for someone or the other.”
The group of volunteers, he said, comprises people between the ages 18 and 32, some of whom work on the campaign full time and others who come in on weekends. “It’s interesting to see these volunteers here, because in today’s world, people barely know who the candidates are even in their own constituencies.”
At this point, Muzaffar enters the room. The 34-year-old businessman says he and Rizwan are childhood friends and have been together since school.
“I’ve been campaigning for him since college,” he said. “We've been together through thick and thin.” Although he has been closely involved with local politics and his loyalty to Rizwan Arshad has never faltered, he has no political ambitions himself.
That seems to be the case, though, with all the young volunteers. The involvement of youth in politics seems issue-based. Anushree N., who does content, and Shruti Das, who handles graphic design, echo this sentiment.
“I want to understand how the system works,” said Shruthi, in response to why she volunteered for this. “I’ve never done political writing and I wanted to give it a try. It’s been a great experience so far,” said Anushree.
Whatever their reasons, for the youth, this is more than a battle between political candidates. This is a chance to shape the India they want to see.
Next Story
