IT savvy campaigns did not woo Indian voter

The IT-savvy campaign of BJP-led NDA that included phone-ins by the Prime Minister, SMSs and e-mails miserably failed to woo the electorate, a bulk of which failed to 'feel-good' and preferred the age-old 'jansampark' (roadshow) style of the Italian-born Congress President.

Adding a corporate flavour to its campaign, the BJP spin-doctors chalked out strategies from what they called "war rooms" and used all the mass media at its disposal to make its 79-year old "brand" leader reach out individually to people.

The PM's recorded messages seeking a second mandate to make India a developed nation and a superpower were sent across to all the seven million basic land lines and all cell phone users in the country, the party claimed.

In addition, the high-tech cell operating from campaign-in-charge Pramod Mahajan's house sent across thousands of e-mails for the PM's message to percolate.

One-sided as the blitzkrieg remained, it gave the rivals enough fodder as it fine-tuned the IT tools to make their phone-ins interactive and targeted a select few people in select constituencies.