Ahead of 2014 polls, Rahul Gandhi ropes in his father's media man, Rajiv Desai

NEW DELHI: Ahead of parliamentary elections, Congress has changed tack on its media strategy. It is no longer relying solely on senior leaders for briefing and training its spokespersons.

On party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi’s insistence, the party has brought in media strategists to provide professional inputs at brainstorming sessions. Apart from daily morning discussions on political issues, these strategists have been sharing the industry’s point of view on important economic issues.

The induction of professionals into the party’s media strategising has seen the comeback of Rajiv Desai, founder of I-PAN public relations agency, who used to advise exprime minister Rajiv Gandhi on media matters during parliamentary elections.

Desai had gained considerable influence in Congress and found a place in the party’s media committees headed by Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni. But gradually he fell out of favour with the Congress high command.

Over the past two months though, Desai has been a regular in the communication department sessions, giving feedback on articles on new media, performance of party’s spokespersons in news briefings at Congress headquarters and economic issues, a person familiar with the matter said. The strategist has won Gandhi’s trust especially because of his adeptness at new media and social networking sites.

AP Parigi, a well-known telecom, media and entertainment industry professional, is also helping the party in its media strategy. The strategists have been providing an invaluable outsider’s perspective on complex issues such as projecting a PM candidate and economic issues such as sharp depreciation of the rupee.

“It is like opening a new window for exchange of views,” said a senior Congress leader. “In the party there is a certain way of looking at things. When we are involved in a project we look at it in a unidimensional way, the way we have been dealing with it for years. Professional inputs from media strategists help us in looking at issues differently.”

These strategists have brought about a complete change in the way the party’s communication department is functioning. Earlier, Congress spokespersons used to have just a formal briefing with the general secretary in-charge minutes before the press conference at party headquarters.

In case of major political issues, these briefings would take place slightly earlier in the day and the party would specify its stance to the spokespersons. Now, a written brief is prepared after scanning the newspapers.

The party is waking up to the reality of its leaders shooting off their mouths. A gag order has, therefore, been issued and only spokespersons and TV panelists are allowed to participate in debates.

Even so, two party members have been assigned to draw up a list of panelists for each channel every day. “A proper chart is drawn up. So you don’t send an Andhra specialist to speak on Muzaffarnagar riots; you send a Union minister from UP,” said a leader involved in media planning.