X

One Man, Over 1,000 WhatsApp Groups: Meet BJP’s ‘IT Yodha’ From Bengal’s Cooch Behar

Dipak Das is one of BJP's 'IT Yodhas' who spend nearly 16 to 18 hours, on these WhatsApp groups

“I am Dipak Das and I am BJP’s social media convenor for Cooch Behar district. At present, I manage 1,124 WhatsApp groups,” says the party’s district IT cell convenor. The 36-year-old single-handedly manages BJP’s social media needs in Bengal’s Cooch Behar district.

Dipak Das is one of BJP’s ‘IT Yodhas’ (IT warriors) who spend a significant part of their day, nearly 16 to 18 hours, on these WhatsApp groups. “I have a Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha (social media) team. We have teams and WhatsApp groups till the booth-level,” said Das.

He’s the admin of over 1,000 WhatsApp groups and manages other social media platforms as well. A resident of Gopalpur village, Dipak heads a team of 40 and was trained by the state IT cell in Kolkata. Cooch Behar is one of the two constituencies going to polls in Phase-I in West Bengal. “We reach almost every Android user who is active on social media. We make sure that they receive our party’s message. We aren’t just active on WhatsApp groups. We use Facebook, Twitter, ShareChat and any other social media platforms to spread our party’s message,” he said.

Dipak claims it’s workers like him that help the party reach corners where ‘social media is a silent weapon’.