The BJP has appointed its first-ever “WhatsApp Pramukh” in Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal. Ramkumar Chaurasia, an MSc graduate, has been entrusted with the role, of using WhatsApp to connect with the masses and disseminate information about government schemes.  

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Chaurasia expressed his enthusiasm for the role: “This responsibility has been entrusted to connect the common people in maximum numbers and to reach the government schemes to the people through WhatsApp. This experiment is happening for the first time in the state and will soon be implemented across the entire state.”

This initiative marks a first for Madhya Pradesh and is part of a broader effort to establish a comprehensive digital network across all 65,015 booths in the state by November 20. BJP leaders believe these innovations will strengthen grassroots connections ahead of the upcoming state booth committee elections.

The appointment of WhatsApp Pramukhs is just one element of BJP’s revamped booth committee structure. The committees will have 12 members, including roles such as Booth President, Mann Ki Baat Pramukh, and Beneficiary Chief. Three of these members will be women. Archana Goswami, a former councillor from Kolar, became the first Booth President in the current elections. She said, “This time, our entire focus is on creating thousands of WhatsApp Pramukhs and Mann Ki Baat Pramukhs.”

State BJP President VD Sharma inaugurated the Booth Sangathan Parv at Ward-80’s booth in Bhopal by becoming the Panna Pramukh himself. “This is a proud moment. Our emphasis is on connecting every worker and voter through technology, ensuring transparent and effective communication,” Mr Sharma said.  

In a bid to streamline and digitise the election process, the BJP is employing an organisational app. After the selection of a Booth President, their details are immediately registered on the app, verified via OTP, and officially updated on the party’s portal. This system aims to reduce manual errors and ensure real-time updates of party structures.  

Elections at the Mandal and District levels will follow in December, with a focus on promoting members who performed well during the party’s membership drive.  

The introduction of posts like WhatsApp Pramukh and Mann Ki Baat Pramukh underlines BJP’s emphasis on leveraging social media and technology. These roles aim to disseminate party messages, increase participation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat program, and maintain direct contact with beneficiaries of government schemes.  

“This initiative ensures that every booth is a microcosm of BJP’s mission to connect with every citizen, especially women and youth, in a tech-savvy manner,” said Mr Sharma.