Namaskaar, mein Vajpayee bol raha...

Land lines and cellular phones here are being flooded with messages from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, seeking co-operation in "taking India forward to greater heights". The Bharatiya Janata party has embarked on a novel voice method of campaigning after the earlier SMS campaign.

Scores of persons in Ahmedabad were shocked as they heard the voice of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as soon as they answered a cellphone or a land line of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. The message begins with "Namaskaar, main Atal Bihari Vajpayee bol raha hoon".

The voice goes on to list the achievements of the government. The PM is heard stating further that there is still a lot more to do, as poverty, unemployment and illiteracy still exist.

Vajpayee goes on to state that there is a need to create an India, where people of all religions are respected, where all people feel secure. He is then heard seeking the assistance of people in creating such and India, ending his one minute and one second speech by the word `Dhanyawaad".

"I received a phone from a Reliance cellular number 011- 30820150, and saw that it was from Delhi. The moment I answered the phone, the distinct voice of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee came across.

"I was first stunned, then realised that this was yet another method of campaigning, as I had already received a couple of SMSs from the BJP," said Prahlad Pande, an office goer of Ahmedabad.

Munnabhai Shaikh, a resident of Jamalpur area said that he received a call from 011-30820126 on his Reliance cellphone. " It began with - "Namaskar, main Atal Bihari Vajpayee bol raha hoon..' I was stunned at first, then realised that this was another way of campaigning. This method definitely has shock value," Munnabhai said.

Harsha Solanki, a resident of Keshavkunj Society in Chandkheda said that the moment she picked up the landline of her house, the voice of Vajpayee came over.

He spoke of the progress that the country has made over the past few years and sought our co-operation in taking India further on the path of prosperity. I have seen many novel ways of campaigning, but this is indeed the fist time that the phone medium is being used," said Harsha Solanki. She added that the number that she received the phone was from 011-30820126.

Tony Kumar, a Hutch user said that he received a call from the number 011-30820126 late on Friday evening. "I thought it was a wrong number, as I do not have any acquaintance who has a Reliance cell number from Delhi. But as soon as I answered the call, the voice of Vajpayee came over," Tony said. He said he was surprised at first, then realised that campaigning has reached an altogether different level.

Yamal Vyas, spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party, said - "Yes, this is a novel way of reaching out to the people. There is a lot of difference in impact when one reads a SMS and one when actually hears the voice of the Prime Minister. The party will reach out to more and more people this way," he said.