JAIPUR: B D Kallaji “Bikaner ki shaan hain” ( Dr Kalla is the pride of Bikaner)... Vasundhara Raje will fix “these fools”. Such statements — posted by the youth on the internet at various fora — offer indications aplenty that the electoral battle in Rajasthan is beginning to spill into cyberspace. .

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje sits smiling in her cyberhome — www.vasundhara-raje.com — with exhorting visitors to post queries and also send her their feedback on governance. Speeches by Congress’ potential chief ministerial candidate C P Joshi as also senior leader B D Kalla are available for viewing and downloading on a popular website, www.youtube.com. The Congress has prepared a VCD highlighting what it calls the ruling BJP’s failures and how, if given a chance, the Congress will turn things around in the state. Party spokesman Satish Singh gave a preview of the CD to the media. The CD’s he said, will be shown across the state at party meetings.

Net is about interactivity. Chief minister’s camp has reasons to smile as half-a-dozen Raje “fan clubs” have suddenly sprung on popular netwokring sites including Orkut. The membership of these fora, currently ranging from 100 to 500, seems to be picking up. The moderators exhort the members to post comments and participate in discussions.

The new media, it seems, hasn’t yet helped Rajasthan politicians reach out to large numbers. For instance, chief minister’s website shows barely 500 visitors a day. Minister for education, Vasudev Devnani, who is seeking re-election from Ajmer (North), has made good use of his newly launched web site to pat himself on the back. Besides detailing his “success story” on the web — most notably his achievements as education minister — Devnani also talks of his future palns if his party is returned to power. Devnanini’s website contains his success story along with his achievement and further plans if he comes to power again.

Congress candidate from Malviya Nagar in Jaipur Rajiv Arora’s presence on the net — www.rajivarora.com — offers extensive information on his plans for the constituency. . “Malviya Nagar has a sizeable upper middle class population with access to internet connectivity,” says an aide of Rajiv. His supporters are confident of reaching out to a substantial section of first-time voters in the constituency.

Both the BJP and the Congress camps are preparing to launch video clips of their camp on the web. They are also fine-tuning SMS messages to be despatched in bulk to voters.