The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : SMS campaign here to stay!

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Wednesday, Mar 11, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

SMS campaign here to stay!

M.L.Melly Maitreyi

‘Save AP’ being taken note of by the recipients

Brief messages through SMS make the recipients ponder over them
TDP’s IT wing chief T. Srinivasa Rao denies role in ‘Save AP’ SMS

HYDERABAD: Despite complaints by Congress leaders to the State Election Commission against ‘slanderous SMS campaign’ against it by rival parties, there is no sign that the digital campaign is on the wane.

In fact, the campaign via digital medium is apparently here to stay, what with the convenience of sending the intended message across to lakhs of mobile users with a personal touch just with the push of a button.

The SMSes sent in the name of ‘Save AP’ with unfailing regularity are slowly being taken note of by the recipients.

“I read this ‘Save AP’ election-related message out of curiosity and the short and pithy message stayed with me,” says a mobile user relating to one particular SMS drawing parallel between ‘Satyam’ Ramalinga Raju and the Chief Minister’s son. “One may dismiss it as malicious but the insinuation of the message lingers on,” he admits.

Pondering messages

Many opine that what the heated debates on regional television channels and reams of reports in the print media on charges and counter-charges of political opponents failed to do, these SMSes are certainly accomplishing as the brief messages make the recipients ponder over them.

Telugu Desam Party’s IT wing chief T. Srinivasa Rao denied any role in ‘Save AP’ SMSes which irked Congress leaders but said they were indeed reaching mobile users through positive messages in the name of N. Chandrababu Naidu seeking their support to rebuild the State.

Messages in the name of film actors Balakrishna and Junior NTR too are in the offing, he said.

Mr. Rao also claimed people had been responding positively through SMSes and e-mails to their manifesto.

Congress Member of Legislative Council Kamalaker Rao says there is no control mechanism to check those sending vicious messages but Congress believes in positive campaign to promote its people-oriented programmes and policies.

The Lok Satta has also joined the bandwagon of the SMS campaign, though its messages are positive.

An official of a mobile phone service provider says bulk messages are sent through SMS gateways bought by ‘SMS aggregators’ for their clients. It is a legal product for promotion campaigns but subscribers have an option to subscribe to Do Not Disturb service.

Digital campaign

There are many who have no complaints with digital campaign.

“It is much better way of getting your view across instead of holding rallies and ferrying people to public meetings, causing public inconvenience.”

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