Vijay Nair: AAP's low-key social media strategist weaves electoral magic

Vijay Nair’s rise within the Aam Aadmi Party has been nothing short of meteoric. Often dubbed as AAP’s blue-eyed boy, Nair used his management acumen to add more gravitas to the party’s poll campaigns with punchy one-liners that resonated with the electorate.

According to news agency PTI, Nair has been arrested for his alleged role in “cartelisation” and “conspiracy” in connection with the alleged irregularities in the allocation of liquor licences in Delhi. A Delhi court on Wednesday (September 28) gave the CBI custody of Nair for five days.

Since his arrest on September 27, senior functionaries of AAP, including party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, held multiple pressers distancing Nair from the recently withdrawn liquor legislation (Delhi Excise policy 2021-22) and termed his arrest as an attempt “to disrupt the functioning of AAP”, especially as it prepares to take on the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat polls.

Also read: CBI arrested Vijay Nair as he refused to name Sisodia in excise policy case: AAP

In a communique released on Tuesday, the AAP claimed Nair was forced to implicate Manish Sisodia and, when he refused, he was arrested.

The low-key media strategist

Nair was the CEO of Only Much Louder (OML), an entertainment and event management company based in Mumbai. OML was popular for its NH7 Weekender concerts, which have become synonymous with indie music in India. The company also promoted comedy collectives such as East India Comedy and All India Bakchod, reported the website. 

In 2017, just one year prior to allegations of sexual misconduct against him, he left OML and fully joined AAP.

Nair’s initial association with AAP started in 2014, when his work primarily revolved around handing social media strategy, fundraising and planning party events. However, his role underwent a change in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls in 2020. 

A national newspaper quoting a party insider said that Nair was managing the campaign from start to finish in the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls. His role changed and he became the sole manager of AAP’s campaign.

He was behind some of AAP’s smartest social media campaigns and posts. Post the success in the 2020 Delhi polls, his role went beyond social media management and he started advising the party on not just communication but also politics, campaigning, manifesto and policy matters. Although there was a visible shift in his role, he preferred to remain low-key and work behind the scenes.

Decisive Punjab tally

AAP’s massive victory in Punjab can be at least partly attributed to Nair’s tactful social media handling and his personal touch to the campaign. He solely managed AAP’s communication strategies during the Punjab Assembly election earlier this year, in which the party secured a landslide victory. 

At the time of his arrest, he was discharging the same duties for AAP, ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections, slated for later this year.

Punjab Voters describing 5 years of Congress rule 😭#SharkTankAAP pic.twitter.com/w4YawcEkcC

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 13, 2022

During the Punjab election campaign, Nair mostly focused on live videos, as CM candidate Bhagwant Mann was largely seen communicating in the form of interviews and discussions. Nair also successfully employed ‘Shark Tank’ memes for digital campaigns. ‘Aan Main De Dunga AAP Tension Mat Lo‘ was one such tagline popularised by Nair. Compared to the 2017 campaign, his social media content was always relatable and topical.

 Indians: We want World-class Education, Quality Healthcare, 24×7 Free Bijli, etc

Arvind Kejriwal 👇🏻 #SharkTankAAP pic.twitter.com/ELk629k5ok

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 13, 2022

The extensive use of words like badlav (change) during campaigns resonated with the voters, as the ‘Delhi Model’ was laid out before them. Slogans like ‘Education First’ were thoroughly promoted by Nair as he sought to base the entire campaign on substantial social issues.

Also read: BJP-led Centre’s sole objective is to destroy AAP: Sanjay Singh

Battleground Gujarat

Nair’s arrest may derail AAP’s quest to form the next government in Gujarat. With proven success in Delhi and Punjab, Nair was crafting a niche around his social media campaigns with quirky and engaging slogans. But, the political parties in the electoral fray, especially the BJP, have deployed their digital arsenal to add one more dimension to their campaign, and this aspect may hurt AAP.

Psephologists say Kejriwal has managed to turn the Gujarat elections into a BJP versus AAP narrative as the Congress, the principal Opposition party, offers a “cold response”. The AAP supremo had launched his party’s poll campaign in Gujarat as early as April 1, when he held a roadshow in Ahmedabad, riding high on the party’s stupendous victory in Punjab.

Allegations against AAP

 The Enforcement Directorate had alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the excise policy, extending undue favours to the licensee, waiver or reduction in licence fee, and extension of L-1 licence without approval. The Central agency initiated a probe in the case, under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR that has named Sisodia and 14 others in the excise case.