Newly elected parliamentarians who received breakfast invitations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week were in for a surprise when they arrived at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg for their respective appointed dates with the head of the executive.As the MPs approached their seats, they were greeted by a sheet of paper that told the tale of their social media engagement over a month.The individualised social media report cards carried the MPs’ engagement rates across top platforms — Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. The report card also detailed the posts every MP had put on the social media platforms during the past month and the following, traction and engagement hits of each lawmaker.The same sheet also explained what engagement rate means, as it nudged each MP to expand and deepen his/her base and outreach across these new-age platforms, which the youth are increasingly using to communicate and organise.Sources told The Tribune that the message to enhance individual MP engagement rates across social media handles was subtle and not direct as hard data and statistics were used to put the point across.After the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protests, the Prime Minister has been personally leading the BJP’s expanded social media outreach having already posted six Instagram reels — five on exam reform and student issues and one on the importance of National Handloom Day.Senior ministers of the BJP-led NDA are following suit and posting selfie video posts now and then. MPs are also taking to the new game, with actor Kangana Ranaut currently the most active in the BJP with various Instagram reels, where she is drawing both criticism and following for her remarks on student protests and other issues. “The idea is to engage. Engagement is a must and that’s the big shift in the party’s communication plan,” said sources privy to the developments.Government leaders privately pointed to the potential of social media to organise movements, the latest case in point being the CJP-led Jantar Mantar ‘Sansad Chalo’ march on July 20. Earlier too, social media handles and tools have been deployed in protests worldwide, including the Arab Spring. The government now believes that since social media is being used to mount offensives, it will have to be effectively used to mount counter-offensives too. Hence the latest move to serve MPs their social media report cards, along with tea and breakfast at the PM’s residence.Earlier this week, the PM hosted 36 new Rajya Sabha MPs for breakfast and 41 new Lok Sabha MPs.