LUCKNOW: UK-based Cambridge Analytica (CA), in the thick of Facebook data theft controversy, had made a 50-page proposal for Congress for the 2019 Lok Sabha poll as well as its campaign in Karnataka, Chhattishgarh and Madhya Pradesh assembly elections later this year.The proposal has been reportedly made after a study of performance of both Congress and BJP in the 2017 UP polls in which the saffron party-led alliance won 325 out of 403 seats.“This proposal sets out how CA will give the INC an equivalent level of operational and technological support in the bid to win the 2019 Lok Sabha, and the three crucial state elections which will precede,” says the first section of the proposal, titled ‘Introduction’, that has 10pages.TOI has accessed the copy of the Rs 2.5-crore proposal as Congress categorically denies that any financial transaction ever took place between CA and the party.“Hordes of firm have approached us with proposals on campaigns in the past 15 years and continue to do that. This firm (CA) may have met someone in Congress and submitted a proposal but there was not even a single transaction between this firm and us ever,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told TOI on Wednesday.The introduction section in the proposal has two large photographs of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Prime minister Narendra Modi , with two subsections — “Reversal of fortune” in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll and “Regaining the initiative”.It dwells upon why Congress lost the plot in 2014, citing reasons such as “Indian National Congress suffered significant reputational damage. Repeated allegations of corruption, disunity and structure persists”. The INC has been blamed for India’s growing wealth gap and economic disparity following globalisation. It praises BJP’s ability to use digital and social media components in 2014, saying “final 18 months of 2014 campaign were primarily data-driven and focused on extensive and tactical digital marketing” and that continue till 2017 UP polls.“Rise of Hindu nationalist BJP which won in 2014, is both a cause and consequence for INC’s demise. Narendra Modi’s populist narrative resonates strongly with millions of disenchanted Indians. According to almost every poll, BJP is clear favourite to win 2019 again. UP results showed their popularity as strong as ever,” it says.“Given that India had about 350 million smartphone users in 2015 and 195 million Facebook users by 2016, BJP’s approach proved particularly effective. Their resounding victory in 2017 Uttar Pradesh state elections has also largely been due to this factor. This kind of targeted digital approach will be essential in a country where more than 700 million people are expected to communicate via smartphones by 2020,” the proposal states.The proposal talks about access to national voter file, party membership database to understand “where gaps exist” as well as identify “3rd party data” to segment and model “voter base”. It seeks to build an operations centre with backup servers to access and prepare creative content, media relations and advertising, prepare rallies and events, strategy and tactics and develop “negative campaigns to keep opposition on defensive”.

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