During the recently concluded state elections in Madhya Pradesh, a WhatsApp chatbot exhibited a new model of citizen engagement by engaging over 1.2 million citizens with the state election office.
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer’s office said that it had introduced a WhatsApp chatbot during the recent state elections that engaged over 1.2 million citizens.
Developed by Gupshup, the chatbot reportedly offered assistance on various election-related queries such as voter list verification and polling location inquiries.
According to the company, one of its key achievements was facilitating voter registration procedures, directing over two lakh individuals seeking corrections or new registrations to the appropriate portals.
Leveraging the WhatsApp Business API, the election office ensured real-time communication with 65,000 polling officers on election day, aiding in timely information dissemination and data collection.
“By providing instant, reliable information to citizens across the state, we have witnessed a significant improvement in voter participation and trust in the electoral system,” said Anupam Rajan, chief electoral officer, Madhya Pradesh. The state currently has 55 million eligible voters.
Vikas Goel, senior director, Government Vertical at Gupshup, echoed a similar sentiment, expressing delight at the partnership with the Madhya Pradesh State Election Office. “The success of the WhatsApp chatbot underscores the power of conversational AI in fostering meaningful engagement between citizens and government institutions,” he said.
Moving forward, the state election office plans to integrate the chatbot as a permanent channel for citizen interaction with the Election Commission, aiming to enhance transparency and efficiency in future electoral processes.