New Delhi:
Don't be surprised if the next call on your cell phone is from your area candidate or you come across a very catchy ringtone promoting BJP with the IT cell of the Delhi unit of the party coming out with a blue print to extensively use hi-technology to its advantage.
Value added services on mobile phones such as SMS and e-mail campaigns, blogs, conversion of all the promotional songs into MP3 format and using social networking sites- Facebook and Orkut- are some of the methods to be used in the campaigning for Lok Sabha polls next month, according to the blue print.
"Almost all the seven constituencies in the capital have substantial number of young voters and the party plans to use the high technology to best of its advantage to get them," said Vivek Goel, convenor of BJP's IT cell.
"The use of e-mail, webcasts, SMS, MMS, blogs and social networking sites will help us connect with the young voters and we are encouraging our candidates to use these mediums," added Goel.
Goel said IT cell is also encouraging candidates to create their websites and blogs through which they will be able to communicate with the media as well as net-savvy citizens.
The party also plans to use the interactive voice response or IVR which is a computerised phone system that enables a telephone caller to get answers to standard inquiries through automated process.
As per the plan, the party will also seek to use bluetooth technology through which voters can receive contents such as video clips, music and other information on their mobile phones.
The IT cell also plans to convert all the promotional songs into MP3 format and upload them on websites of party leaders.
Goel said the party will also launch an SMS campaign which will be divided into four phases and that BJP may also use the voice SMS also for the campaign. "SMS campaign remains a major communications opportunity and we will use it to the hilt," said Goel.
At the national level also, the BJP is trying to exploit the cyber space to a great extent as it is using Google's AdWords and AdSense to promote the party on more than 30,000 websites and blogs.
The Congress is also not far behind as it also plans to use Google technologies for advertisements on various popular websites.
BJP had launched a web campaign "Advani for PM" recently, spread over 2,000 websites worldwide.