The Congress has decided that actor-politician Ramya will be the new head of its Digital Communications, placing her in charge of its social media and IT.
Ramya, 34, was a popular star in Kannada films. She joined the Congress in 2012 and has served as an MP from Mandya Constituency.On Twitter, she has over 4,83,000 followers.
Her new role has not officially been announced yet, but sources confirmed party boss Rahul Gandhi has vetted her position.
Ramya replaces Deepinder Hooda, 39, who founded the IT wing and ran it for five years, without standout results. The Congress presence online is seen as largely unimaginative and ineffectual. Rahul Gandhi felt the need for someone more aggressive to take charge of its digital brand.
Rahul Gandhi himself was slow to join Twitter in 2015; Prime Minister Narendra Modi had embraced the forum 6 years before that. The PM’s social media skills have earned international acclaim. Today, he posted a tweet in Korean to congratulate the new president of South Korea.
Ramya has been described by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor as an “authentic liberal voice to the national conversation.”
Her posts are often bold and opinionated and positioned to bait the ruling BJP, whose social media reach and initiative is immense.
