Recalls Advani: “When I first used a digital diary during the party’s ‘89 Bombay session, a newspaper ran my picture with a slug - ‘Swadeshi, Mr Advani?’ See how things have changed now.”

The BJP is aware how Rahul Gandhi ran a laptop-poll campaign in UP, complete with constituency profiles at the click of a mouse. Internet is a big enabling tool at Rahul’s 12 Tughlak Lane office.

Rahul answers his emails himself. Aides Kanishka Singh and Sachin Rao blend IT with management tools; his press releases are managed by website pressbrief.in, run by Sachin and an ex-DD News professional. Congress beat reporters are asked to join his Orkut community and Rahul is always in touch with Sam Pitroda. Bangalore-based entrepreneur Anand Adkoli, son-in-law of Veerappa Moily, has helped devise a software for the Youth Congress membership drive.