Nepal

Leaders using social media to attract voters

Leaders using social media to attract voters

By Himalayan News Service

A logo of Twitter is pictured next to the logo of Facebook in this September 23, 2014 illustration photo in Sarajevo. Photo: Reuters

Kathmandu, November 11 Record  shows that around 22 per cent of the country’s population were using social media in 2016. With incessant growth of the number of users, the index must have gone higher this year. With the surge in the use  of social media, it has become easier for people to convey idea to a  larger population. Social media is also widely used by political leaders to spread their message. With the country holding its first every  parliamentary and provincial election on November 26 and December 7 this  year, it will be interesting to know which leaders have more following  in some prominent social media. Here are the top political leaders who are using social media to attract voters. According to GlobalStat, an internet based stat counter, out of the total social  media uses, 91.16 per cent people use Facebook, 2.4 percent use Twitter  and 2.28 percent use Instagram. Baburam Bhattarai Former prime minister and co-coordinator of Naya Shakti Party-Nepal Baburam Bhattarai has maximum number of followers. Facebook 1,279,000 Twitter 892,000 Rabindra Mishra Former  journalist and known philanthropist Rabindra Mishra, who left his  career in journalism to join politics in 2017, formed a new political  party called ‘Sajha Party’. Mishra, has the second largest number of  followers. He is now coordinator of Bibeksheel Sajha Party. Facebook 691,000 Twitter 685,000 Instagram 16,000 Gagan Thapa Spokesperson  of Nepali Congress, Gagan Thapa is supported largely by the younger  generation. Seen as a fresh and young face in contrast to the usual  elderly politicians, Gagan Thapa was a former minister of health and  occupies the number 3 position among leaders who use social media. Facebook 186,000 Twitter 704,000 Instagram 781 Pushpa Kamal Dahal

Former  prime minister and chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist  Centre, Pushpa Kamal Dahal is considered one of the strongest players in  Nepali politics. Facebook 164,000 Twitter 102,000 Sher Bahadur Deuba
Prime Minister of Nepal and President of Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba also has a huge following on social media. Facebook 138,000 Twitter 101,000 KP Sharma Oli
Former  prime minister and Chairman of the CPN-UML, Khadga Prasad Oli, has  drawn followers in real life with his jocular and satirically articulate  nature, but he has the lowest fan following among the top leaders of  major parties. Facebook 27,000 Twitter 248,000 Kamal Thapa Kamal Thapa is chairman of Rastriya  Prajatantra Party. Thapa occupies the fourth position among leaders  engaged with social media. Facebook 122,000 Twitter 455,000 Instagram 352