In the run up to the 2019 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to move beyond WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter to new generation social media platforms.

The decision was made after Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked to party workers in Chennai on reaching out to voters by using technology.

Party sources maintain that apart from Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp that proved huge dividends to lure voters in the 2014 elections, the new social media tools such as Instagram, Snapchat, SHAREit, Telegram and question-and-answer platform Quora will be used in a big way. In addition, the party is planning to increase the use of LinkedIn to reach out to intelligentsia and professionals.

The BJP has exhaustive plans to win over the first-time voters and these new tools will act as catalyst, party leaders feel. As 2019 elections near in Digital India, through these tools, the party's 'cyber worriers' will carry forward the developmental work done by the Modi government right up to grassroots.

According to sources, the party will circulate quick videos, photographs, infographics and cartoons through these tools. The communication context will be ranging from development to nationalism to Hindutva, party sources said, adding that the messaging would be 'cool', especially among the youth.

As Instagram is a hit among the millennials, the party is going to use the tool in big way to connect with the youth and first time voters.

BJP is launching a campaign to woo the first time voters in which the party will explain why they should give their first vote to PM.

Apart from Instagram, the party is planning to use Snapchat – which is also equally popular among the youth – in a big way for 2019 elections. In addition, the party is going to increase the use of SHAREit, sources said.

BJP is also planning to expand its footprints in question-and-answer platform Quora. For this platform, the party is planning to use 500 to 1,000 karyakartas, with good understanding on economic policy and party's ideology, who will answer to peoples' query on the Modi government policy decisions and party's stand on various issues from official accounts.

However, the actual game will be played on WhatsApp, said a party leader aware about the developments. "Because WhatsApp is a commonly used and an easy to use platform," said a party leader.

In the last five years, the party has been using WhatsApp as a major communication tool. For the intra-party communication, the BJP will further accelerate the use of WhatsApp.

During a conclave of BJP's booth in-charges in Delhi last week, the party had decided to form a chain of whatsApp groups, linking panna pramukhs with the national leadership in a bid to strengthen its communication channels. The panna pramukhs will disseminate the messages further.

Apart from WhatsApp, the BJP will make further use of Telegram. In addition, the party has plans to reach out to intelligentsia and professionals through LinkedIn.

TAPPING IN TO YOUNG ELECTORAL