Assam minister Ashok Singhal goes Live to 1 lakh voters across 2,500 spots in Dhekiajuli digital blitz

A cabinet minister from Assam's Sonitpur district turned to social media in an unusual campaign push days before polling, broadcasting live to more than one lakh voters simultaneously across 2,500 locations in his constituency.

Ashok Singhal, the BJP incumbent from the Dhekiajuli assembly seat and a minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma government, held a live address on April 5— four days before polling day — across Facebook, YouTube and Instagram under a programme called "Lakhyadhik Jansampark".

Dhekiajuli is a rural constituency in Sonitpur district with over 2.17 lakh registered voters spread across 748 square kilometres, making physical outreach both costly and logistically demanding.

The broadcast drew roughly 40 to 50 viewers at each of the 2,500 watch points organised by the campaign. Since the live stream ended, the video has accumulated over 10 lakh views from across the constituency and wider Sonitpur district, according to the campaign.

The effort rested on meticulous groundwork. The constituency's 285 polling booths were broken into approximately 2,500 smaller clusters called "Khandas", mapping voters down to the household level. That network then served as the base for 250 in-person rallies held across the clusters after the broadcast concluded.

Assam voted on April 9, 2026, to elect 126 members to the state assembly, with counting scheduled for May 4. Singhal's campaign was not without controversy — the Congress candidate had raised objections during nomination scrutiny, claiming discrepancies in Singhal's nomination papers in a letter to the Returning Officer. The nomination was ultimately cleared.

Whether the digital strategy delivered results for Singhal will be known when votes are counted on May 4.