TDP call centre calling up voters for feedback

V V Balakrishna
First Published : 30 Mar 2009 02:19:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 30 Mar 2009 11:53:17 AM IST

HYDERABAD: It’s a common sight in call centres to witness many employees engaged in calling up potential customers to sell their products. But, here’s a call centre with a difference — the TDP call centre — set up at NTR Bhavan, the headquarters of the TDP, to gauge people’s pulse.

Around 400 employees, all youth (each hired for Rs 6,000 per month), are busy contacting people over the telephone, at the temporary call centre set up by the main Opposition party.

The youth ring up people in all the 294 Assembly segments and ask questions to seek feedback on the TDP. The TDP call centre, perhaps the first-one-of-its-kind run by any political party in the State, was started ten days ago. The callers ask some questions to people and seek their feedback.

Based on the information, the party has been finalising the candidates for various Assembly and Lok Sabha segments in the elections.

For example, after the Congress announced the list, the employees of the TDP call centre called up people and asked them their opinions regarding the Congress nominees. Later, they asked people several questions with regard to the TDP candidates — was the candidate the right person for their constituency, would he do justice to people — to seek their opinion.

The TDP call centre employees have reportedly been receiving positive responses to most of their queries to people about the TDP candidates.

“More than 60 per cent of the potential customers (read voters) are satisfied with the TDP candidates,’’ an employee working with the TDP call centre told `Express’.

However, while eliciting people’s opinions, the TDP call centre employees are not revealing their identities that they are working for a particular political party. “We are not revealing our identity. Just we are seeking feedback,’’ an employee said.

After the finalisation of candidates, the employees attached to the TDP call centre call up ‘customers’ and seek votes for the party.

“Each of us is making 50 to 60 calls per day.

We are working from 9 am to 5 pm,’’ an employee from East Godavari said. “The response from customers is good and they are cooperating with us. We politely disconnect the phone if any customer feels irritated,’’ he revealed.

A chairman of a group of corporate colleges is managing the show for the TDP.

So, don’t be surprised if you soon get a call from the TDP call centre, requesting you to vote for the TDP!