Left Parties Leverage Social Media to Reach Voters in Tamil Nadu Bypolls

Chennai, October 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) are increasingly relying on social media platforms to reach voters in Tamil Nadu’s Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies ahead of the Assembly bypolls.

The Left parties are using candidate-focused social media pages, WhatsApp groups and dedicated channels to share campaign updates, highlight local issues and communicate their candidates’ positions. Having largely contested elections as part of alliances, the parties are drawing on their cadre networks to strengthen their digital outreach.

Party functionaries said workers and supporters were voluntarily sharing campaign material through WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, without paid promotions or bulk SMS messaging.

In Madurantakam, the CPI(M) has established more than 100 WhatsApp groups as part of its campaign. S. Kannan, the party’s campaign in-charge, said each group brings together around 30 party members and between 300 and 500 voters from the respective localities. The groups are being used to circulate campaign messages and coordinate activities among party workers.

The party has also launched a dedicated WhatsApp channel, along with separate Facebook and Instagram pages, under the title “Vote for Suganthi”, focusing on its candidate in Madurantakam. Suthir, the CPI(M)’s state social media in-charge, said the platforms were being used to share the candidate’s views and the party’s positions on public issues.

To connect its traditional campaign material with digital platforms, the CPI(M) has included QR codes on pamphlets distributed to voters. Residents can scan the codes to access online campaign updates and the party’s views.

In Dharapuram, the CPI has divided its digital outreach into three sections, creating a WhatsApp channel for each under the title “Dharapuram Idathu Pakkam”, which the party translates as “Dharapuram is for the Left”.

The CPI has also formed around 100 WhatsApp groups in the constituency to circulate campaign messages and coordinate its activities.

Across both constituencies, the Left parties are combining their established cadre networks with digital communication tools to expand their outreach and engage voters as campaigning continues.