Hi-tech Campaigning Revisited

width="236" height="205">Gone are the days

when elections to the Lok Sabhaor the Assemblies meant lot of

enthusiasm and celebrations. Huge cut-outs, banners, wall

paintings, loud speakers’ booming music, and parody ... All

these may well apply and appeal to the rural or semi-urban

environs. But in the big towns and cities it’s the hi-tech

campaign. Remember dialing 6223330, 6223331, or 6223332 in 1996!

Yes, it was the interactive voice mail system used by the

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to propagate its election mission in

Delhi. For the 12th Lok Sabha elections to be held during

February-March 1998, parties have already become active with the

hi-tech propaganda process. BJP will soon hoist itself on

Internet. The party will make available its history, organization

structure, election manifesto, profiles of senior people, and

much more. This could probably be the trend. And more sites will

come up. Whether the hi-tech methodologies can bring in a last

minute swing in the support to the parties is something yet to be

ascertained. But something sure shot is that beeping pagers,

interactive phones, websites, all will have a hay time during the

next three months.