Advani ads on 2,000 websites

New Delhi, Feb 15: To promote its prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, the tech savvy Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put out five ad campaigns on 2,000 websites, including those of the US, British and Pakistani media, which are frequented by Indians.

"'Advani for prime minister' is the theme. If you want change in India, elect a strong leader like Advaniji; this is the message," Prodyut Bora, convenor of the BJP's information technology cell, told IANS.

"Want to see India stand taller in the world?" asks one of the advertisements, all of which have a common sentence - "Advani for PM". Advani, 81, is the party's prime ministerial candidate for the April-May general elections.

Bora explained that the purpose of advertising on the sites of foreign media, including those of the United States, Britain and Pakistan, was that these portals were visited by Indians.

"It is wrong to say as a newspaper reported that Advani is advertising in the Pakistani media. We are putting out the advertisements on the sites visited most by Indians. For instance, the Dawn of Pakistan or the Washington Post of America and several others, which you and I go through," he said.

"Obviously, the readers of these papers cannot vote in India, but their sites are visited by Indians. We will also be on the Discovery Channel for the same reason."

Bora said the BJP leader's own website, www.lkadvani.in, "has everything on what Advaniji stands for but everybody cannot read it or will have the time for it, so we are advertising."

He said Advani's site has 800 pages, 250 videos and 4,000 pictures, "but will you read all of it? But, for instance, you will read a crisp message in an advertisement on any internet site you visit."

The senior leader's website is also interactive as netizens can send their suggestions and poll strategy ideas to Advani there. Last month, he was also on a long internet chat session on one website.

Bora said other political parties might also be working on their own campaigns, "but I can say we are the leaders in the use of internet for the elections."