The consultancy was chosen following a multi-agency pitch, which saw it beat out a number of high-ranking competitors.
"Perfect Relations edged past the likes of (Burson Marsteller affiliate) Genesis Public Relations and Corporate Voice Weber Shandwick," said an industry source.
The Congress party is planning a major communication campaign, which will principally target 400 million people. "Apart from reaching out to the masses and highlighting issues such as poverty and unemployment, the party is also working on repositioning Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the campaign," said the source.
In addition to its PR initiative, the party is also planning an advertising campaign.
The development follows the recent high-decibel 'India shining' multimedia campaign created by Grey Global Group for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government. Analysts said it is imperative for Congress to counter this with a hard-hitting campaign. Creative professionals feel that Congress' strategy of reaching out to rural areas in 17 states is crucial, given the impact of the 'India shining' ads.
"'India shining' has entered the common people's language. Congress is banking on its strength as it is known for being the party for the poorest. The media relations and advertising campaign will play a critical role," said Vivek Srivastava, executive director, Triton Communications.
To coordinate its communication strategy, Congress has formed a six-member committee, which includes senior leaders such as Jairam Ramesh and Ambika Soni.
Perfect Relations worked with Congress in the previous elections five years ago, and won the account on the basis of network strength and strategic insight.
"The firm has 17 offices across the country, which definitely added to its advantage. Also, the fact that the firm would enable Congress to reach out to the masses, translating the relevant message into regional languages, also helped in gaining the prestigious project," said the source.
More than 50 media centres have been finalised from where the PR team will target print, radio and television stations for communication programmes.