T’gana BJP focus on social media presence of party ticket aspirants

Hyderabad: In a pioneering move for any political party in the state, Telangana BJP is poised to consider the social media presence of potential candidates seeking tickets for both the upcoming assembly and subsequent Lok Sabha elections. After completing the application process for assembly tickets, the party will assess the digital political activities of aspiring candidates.According to sources, the party has arrived at the conclusion that candidates boasting 25,000 active and authentic followers on social media platforms can be considered serious about their own political future and that of the party. “Though the parliamentary polls are scheduled for next year, the party is setting its sights on candidates with a significant social media following of one lakh followers for consideration in parliamentary segments,” insiders in the party said.While the mandatory nature of a robust social media presence in candidate selection remains uncertain, party leaders believe it can wield substantial influence. As part of standard procedure, the party typically evaluates three active candidates for final selection. In cases where fierce competition prevails, this social media criterion will be a valuable tool, said the leaders.A party insider disclosed that although social media has been vibrant for the party on a national scale, there is room for improvement within the Telangana unit.“Changes have been made in the social media team, with MP D Arvind, renowned for his active online presence, tasked with fortifying this aspect,” a leader said adding that the spokesperson Kishore P has taken the responsibility of effectively countering rivals on social media.This apart, state BJP chief G Kishan Reddy, former state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay, Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender, Dubbak MLA Raghunandan Rao and suspended MLA T Raja Singh are among those who have garnered substantial social media followers and are actively involved in online debates against political adversaries.

Corporation to relay 61 roads based on social media posts

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has decided to repair 61 roads based on complaints received on social media. The GCC compiled a 62-page report with photos of bad roads posted on X (formerly Twitter) since June. City corporation commissioner Dr J Radhakrishnan stated that the chief minister wanted to address social media complaints and that resolving these issues would encourage more people to come forward. The identified roads will be repaired in the coming months, and wet mix macadam will be used if bituminous roads cannot be repaired due to the monsoon.

No BJP woman candidate ever won assembly poll in Telangana, but 1,000 seek party ticket

Despite the BJP's lack of female MLAs or MLCs in combined AP or Telangana, women leaders and workers within the party are actively seeking tickets for the upcoming assembly polls. Around 1,000 out of the 6,002 applications for tickets have come from women, including prominent leaders such as DK Aruna and Jeevitha Rajasekhar. The BJP Mahila Morcha's Delhi unit has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha, while former BJP MLA Mamta Meena has resigned from the party and is expected to join the Aam Aadmi Party.

ATS arrests Bhilwara man for anti-national social media post

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Rajasthan Police has arrested a 22-year-old man from Bhilwara for inciting people to anti-national activities on social media and supporting the banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI). The ATS received information about the man's illegal activities, leading to his arrest and the seizure of two mobile phones for further investigation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is already investigating the activities of PFI in Rajasthan, and in March, they filed charges against two individuals for promoting enmity between different groups.