Launched on April 3 on TMC’s official YouTube channel, the song has crossed 50 million views in three weeks. The average viewing time for a 3.11-minute video is 2.02 minutes, or more than 60 percent. Digital content experts find this “commendable.”
“The ‘Jonogoner Gorjon Bangla-Birodhider Bishorjon’ craze has ignited a firestorm in every corner of Bengal,” a TMC post on social media platform X said, adding that it was time for BJP members to “pack their bags”.
For perspective, let’s compare the song to a recent song created as campaign material for TMC. Bangla Nijer Meyeke Chay (Bengal Wants Her Daughter), which was released on YouTube on 15 March 2021 ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, has garnered 12.3 million views in two weeks. Average viewing time was 1.58 minutes.
‘Trinamool Nobu Jowar’ (Trinamool’s New Wave), which was launched on May 23 last year as part of a state-level campaign by party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, was viewed by over 6 million people in its first 15 days, Average viewing duration is 1.35 minutes.
In 15 days, “Jonogoner Gorjon” reached 35.7 million people. “Our campaign anthem has elicited an overwhelmingly positive response on social media. With the kind of influence that social media has on a large section of voters, our focus remains on strengthening the party’s digital presence,” said Prateek Jain, Co-Founder and Director, I-PAC. .
Jonogoner Gorjon, which launched on March 21, has received more than 7.5 million pledges. Visitors are greeted with a video played during the March 10 Brigade rally event in Kolkata, during which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the names of the TMC’s 42 candidates. Then there is the pledge button, which is the pledge to oust the BJP.
An interactive game-based quiz has also been designed by I-PAC to inform the youth about how the ‘anti-Bengal BJP’ has repeatedly insulted Bengal icons, including Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, and also to highlight the alleged cessation of central power. Funds under NREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme or PM Awas Yojana-Grameen.
The party also launched the mini-series ‘Jumla Baba’ ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, which depicts several of the BJP’s ‘broken promises’. The three-episode series has allegedly gone viral on regional social media.
Given the buzz its content is generating on social media, the TMC is hoping to beat the BJP – arguably the leader in using social media as a campaign tool – at its own game. However, we have to see how much this digital obsession translates into votes for Mamata’s party in the national elections.