MADURAI: If the official machinery is going to strictly implement the Election Commission's guidelines, the poll campaign for Assembly Election 2006 will certainly be a lacklustre one — without much `sound and colour.'

The Commission's directive that no candidate could use private walls for pasting posters and writing graffiti even with the permission of the building owner is not only bound to hit hard the printing industry and artists but also the smaller and economically weaker parties.

Though a majority of the leaders of political parties welcome the decision to regulate campaign to cut down on lavish expenditure, they want the guidelines to be "realistic."

"Without posters and graffiti, it is impossible to reach all voters. We need to inform the voters the candidate contesting the election, at least, says V. Veluchamy, secretary of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Madurai urban district unit.

The Left parties are more concerned about the new rule, for they are totally dependent on wall writing. "Our party does not have the wherewithal to spend lakhs on media advertisements nor do we have our own television channels. In that case, economically weaker parties like ours will be badly affected," says R. Jothiram, district secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist).

However, Mr. Veluchamy feels that even with all media campaign it could not reach most of the voters in many interior areas.

However, the district unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) is aiming to make better use of its "hard-working" cadre strength. "We will concentrate on door-to-door canvassing and distribute pamphlets," says its secretary, P. Sethuraman.

Besides, the party, which thrives on street corner meeting, would conduct as many as possible. However, it is wary of the directive that powered public address system should not be used, but only megaphones. "In these days of `sound and fury' everywhere due to increased vehicles (and honking) and music played in every shop, is it a realistic idea to use megaphones to reach the masses," asks Mr. Jothiram. Almost all leaders want the EC to relax this guideline and allow box-type speakers for limited duration.

The leaders also feel that parties could resort to distributing T-shirts and banians carrying the party symbols to their cadres, make use of SMS (short messaging service) and to explore campaigns through local cable television channels (subject to EC clearance).

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