Motorcycle Diaries, food journeys - India Today’s unique coverage of 2019 Elections

India Today Television and Aaj Tak travelled the length and breadth of the country and took its coverage of the 2019 Elections outside the studios and on the ground. 

Aaj Tak’s mobile Chunav Studio travelled to different election states, where political leaders debated on various issues on a mobile platform mounted on a truck. This unique activation facilitated the common voters of the country to directly interact with their leaders and saw great traction. 

‘Motorcycle Diaries’ was a special show that saw journalist Preeti Choudhry criss-cross the election states on her motorcycle, checking the political pulse from the heart of the action. 

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Her journeys and interactions were showcased in half-hour special shows that aired on weekdays and weekends at 7 pm on India Today Television and on weekdays and weekends at 12.30 pm on Aaj Tak. 

‘Motorcycle Diaries’ also created maximum reach through TV and digital platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The TV show live streamed simultaneously on social media. There were specially created episodes with branding on IGTV. 

Aaj Tak garnered over 21.67 million views on Facebook, while for India Today TV garnered 9.76 million views on Facebook. 

Food, debates and politics with veteran journalist and India Today Group Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai had three mega shows on the 2019 Elections – ‘Countdown’, ‘Campus Face-Off’, and ‘Elections On My Plate’. 

Launched in February 2019, ‘Countdown’ aired on Monday to Thursday between 8 pm and 9 pm. ‘Countdown’ was a one-stop show where the General Elections played out in all its diversity and character. 

Continuing with his strong bonding with the youth of the country, Sardesai reached out to the future opinion makers of India in his special show, ‘Campus Face-Off’. The weekend show launched in February 2019 and aired 6 episodes on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

‘Elections On My Plate’ was a unique show where Sardesai explored the food palate of different states along with gauging the mood of the nation. Launched in March 2019, ‘Elections On My Plate’ had 6 episodes that aired on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

Apart from the TV coverage, India Today Group’s popular ‘politoons’ made it to an engaging app format, through the initiative – ‘Cricket Battle – Politics 2019’.