In the recent US General elections, social networking websites and other internet based services has played an important role in the success of Barack Obama. Barack Obama has utilized internet to the maximum to generate more support for him in the general elections. Barack Obama has launched his own website and created profiles in all social networking websites for his presidential campaign and it has proved to a great success.

This success of Barack Obama has persuaded Indian general election candidates. BJP and Congress has gone the gone the online way in the previous general elections. But that time social networking and internet marketing was not much popular as of today. Major political parties has realized that they can get more supporters especially from young Indian if they are campaigning online.

The priministerial candidate of BJP, LK Advani has started his website and a blog to share his views online. I have visited the website several times. One can find information in hindi as well as English. The website is updated regularly and Leader LK Advani is actively sharing his thoughts on each and every issues and matters related to India through his website and blog.

LK Advani has not only created his website and blog but also marketing his webiste and blog heavily on the internet through search engine marketing. In the past several week i have seen different advertisements regarding this website online. BJP is actively promoting the website using Google Adwords. When ever you visit an india related website you will definitely find the advertisement of this website.

The website of L K Advani is using Joomla(Joomla is an open source content management system). It is great to know that Indian political parties are using open source technologies, internet marketing tools for promoting their election campaign.

Besides actively promoting the campaign in the internet BJP has published it IT vision document recently. In this vision document the party has made big promises for IT community of India. As per the document if BJP is coming back to power, BJP will actively promote open source software and internet telephony in all the government departments. Moreover, the party has promised one crore laptops to students, for this it would spend Rs 10,000 cr on buying top-of-the-line laptops with open source software. The party’s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, while unveiling the party’s IT vision document ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, said if the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is voted to power then it would use Information Technology as an important tool to bring about drastic change in major fields like education and public health care.

Here are some of the important aspects of BJP’s IT vision document –

Broadband Internet (2 Mbps) in every town and village, at cable TV prices (at prices less than Rs 200/month). 10 million students to get laptop computers at Rs 10,000. Interest-free loan for anyone who is unable to afford it. All schools and colleges to have Internet-enabled education and labs. Every BPL family to be given a free smart mobile phone, which can be used by even illiterate users for accessing their bank accounts. Video conferencing to be made affordable and universally accessible. Primary Health Centre in every village to be linked to the National Telemedicine Service Network. Basic health insurance scheme for every citizen, using the IT platform. Cashless hospitalization. All post offices to be converted into IT-enabled Multi-Service Outlets. All telephone booths to be upgraded to Internet kiosks. Citizens will have a simple 1-800 BSNL Toll Free Number, which will be accessible 24×7x 365 days of the year, to contact their Member of Parliament. e-Bhasha: National Mission for Promotion of IT in Indian Languages. An independent body, Digital Security Agency (DSA), to be set up for cyber warfare, cyber counter-terrorism, and cyber security of national digital assets.

As BJP showing the path for online election campaign. In no time more and more political parties will start their online campaign for this years India general elections.