BHOPAL: Three days after sacking the state Congress IT Cell chief over unsatisfactory performance, Madhya Pradesh PCC under Kamal Nath on Sunday issued a new directive for all party office-bearers, leaders and tickets aspirants – to get active on the social media.All applicants aspiring for tickets to contest the assembly elections in November will have to provide evidence of their engagement and activity on Facebook Twitter and WhatsApp A state Congress release set the acceptable criteria for social media activeness as, “It is compulsory to have a facebook and twitter account. It is mandatory to be active on Whatsapp. It is compulsory to have 15,000 likes on Facebook and 5,000 followers on Twitter and be connected to all booth workers through Whatsapp. It is mandatory for all tickets aspirants to retweet, like and share state Congress posts on Facebook and WhatsApp.”A directive has been issued by state PCC chief Kamal Nath for party office-bearers, sitting MLAs and tickets aspirants to provide details of their activity on the social media to the IT cell by September 15. They have also been asked to get in touch with newly appointed IT cell chief Abhay Tiwari for technical assistance.The Congress release argued, “Congress party is taking some concrete steps to strengthen its performance on the social media. It has been decided to make activity on social media compulsory for all office-bearers, sitting MLAs and tickets aspirants for the assembly elections.”Speaking to TOI, state Congress media committee chairperson Shobha Oza said, “The Congress party has realised that while the BJP has used and even misused social media to the hilt for political and electoral gain, we have not even used it. Leaders and legislators have been told that social today is a very strong weapon to reach-out to the people. To take truth and information to the electorate, the Congress needs to get active on Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter.” She, however, said that the 15000 likes on Facebook and 5000 followers on Twitter is not mandatory for ticket seekers but having the same will help.For the past three months, the state Congress and especially its central leaders Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia were being projected in a negative light by certain videos allegedly circulated by the state BJP media cell and ruling party supporters.Videos showed Congress leaders as villains while chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was depicted as invincible Angad of Ramayana, Bahubali and a Congress-battering hero. The state Congress initially ignored the videos but later as the number of viral tapes increased, toughened its stand. Last Thursday, state Congress president Kamal Nath fired the party IT cell chief Dharmendra Vajpayee and thereafter, started the series of measure to strengthen the party’s participation on the social media.