Calcutta, April 6: Microsoft is what matters — for Marxists or Mamata; Saffron or Sonia.

Gone are the days of hand-written voter slips, computer prints are the norm. Parties are still married to phones and faxes, but just about. E-mail is the smart way to send and receive instructions.

It’s not time yet to bid goodbye to posters, banners and graffiti — and good riddance they would have been, too, to house owners whose walls are their playground — but they are no longer enough. Websites have to be updated, cassettes and VCDs have to be made.

Technology has touched political life in Bengal, too, a state that is playing catch-up in IT and where elections hold little suspense.

Ironically, the CPM, once opposed to computerisation, seems to be ahead of the other parties in using the latest technology.

“Even the roster of star campaigners is generated through a programme to avoid clashing of dates,” said a source in Muzaffar Ahmed Bhavan, the party headquarters on Alimuddin Street.

Analysing previous poll data to finalising the voters’ list and wiring district offices to maintaining accounts of expenses — the Marxists extensively use Microsoft.

Md. Salim, contesting from Calcutta Northeast constituency, highlights his innovations. These include a call centre as a nodal contact point, preparing separate VCDs on his performance as a Rajya Sabha MP and on development work in the area, besides using the SMS route. “I will also use the promotional cassettes and CDs being prepared by the party’s cultural wing,” he adds.

For the Trinamul Congress, the principal opposition party in the state, the aim is clear. Though initiatives like creating the website or promotional CDs are in the planning stage, the party has decided to use technology to capture the “evil CPM practices”, rigging, in other words, in elections.

“We will use technology for greater vigil. Our people will be there across the state with video cameras to capture how the CPM rigs elections,” says Trinamul leader Partha Chatterjee.

The BJP, Trinamul’s ally in the state, has elaborate plans orchestrated from Delhi by Union IT and communications minister Pramod Mahajan, who is one of the spearheads of the campaign.

To make the state unit tech-savvy, central teams have held workshops and installed the latest computers in the 12 constituencies where BJP candidates are contesting elections.

“Our party decided to use the latest technology in the election. Though we are lagging behind the initiatives adopted at the Centre, we are trying to minimise the gap,” says Rahul Sinha, sitting in the state BJP office. Plans like personalised SMSs have already trickled in from Delhi.

“From finalising the itinerary of our central leaders to sending instructions to district leaders, we need Internet-enabled computers. We are already through with it,” adds Sinha.

According to him, the BJP will roll out its audio-visual vans in rural areas once the promotional VCDs, with messages from central leaders, are ready.

The Congress’ Manas Bhuiyan mentions an AICC directive that has been dashed off to state party offices, asking them to explore all avenues of using IT and communication devices. “We are preparing the website and have also given a contract to an agency to prepare video documentaries for us,” he adds.

After copying the promotional material in the CD-writer, at the dedicated computer centre in Bidhan Bhavan on CIT Road, the CDs will be despatched to districts. To run the centre, the party has hired people who are working overnight to create fact-files on polling patterns.