Dainik Bhaskar reveals findings of You Decide campaign

Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | Mumbai
Dainik Bhaskar, the leading Hindi daily ran its pre-electoral campaign in Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the three of the states expected to go in for assembly election in near future.

The daily through its campaign invited response from its readers in process creating the public manifesto they would consider for selection of candidates and parties.

Response from the readers was invited through an innovative pre-paid inland letter published in the daily's editions creating an ease for responses. The response through this process highlighted 7 issues that the reader considers as main issues for election in his state, 3 criteria while voting for a party and 3 criteria while voting for a candidate.

The campaign was closed end September with over 51,699 responses, and an analysis of the responses revealed diverse trends. The respondents from the state of Chattisgarh voted for education and employment as the most important issues on their manifesto, and demanded a party with a clean image and an honest candidate as their leader.

The readers from Madhya Pradesh clearly opted for things more close to home – Better roads, electricity and adequate water supply ruled their manifesto. On the selection of the candidate and the party, the readers opted for the development policy and national outlook of the party and an educated and honest party candidate.

Rajasthan was a revelation, which unanimously voted Terrorism as the biggest problem on their manifestoes and indicated education and a clean image as the key criteria in the selection of the candidate and party respectively.

Said, Sharavan Garg, group editor, Dainik Bhaskar, "The 'You Decide' campaign is an innovative step towards understanding the people's point of view about our issues that really affect them or are relevant to them and the factors that they evaluate their leaders in. We are overwhelmed with the response received and we are proud to be the voice of our readers and their concerns."

As per Sanjeev Kotnala, vice-president, DB Corp Ltd, "This unique process and the huge response to the Bhaskar innovative differential in news reporting, providing voice to the common man in allowing them to create a public manifesto much in advance of the political parties manifesto is just another example of how press media can share the responsibility entrusted by its readers."