Politics in Delhi goes digital

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Politics in Delhi goes digital

Wednesday, 29 January 2025 | Saumya Shukla | New Delhi

Politics in Delhi goes digital

In the intense race to wrest power from Aam Admi Party (AAP), the Congress which ruled 15 years and BJP which has not been in Delhi politics for about three decades now and incumbent AAP looking forward to retain itself have gone for an aggressive campaign by making optimum use of the available social media platforms. Digital platform has become the primary battleground for political messaging, overshadowing traditional forms of campaigning for the February 5 Delhi assembly poll.

An analysis conducted by The Pioneer highlights the increasing reliance on digital reach by these political parties, with the BJP leading the charge in terms of spending on platforms like Facebook, Google, and YouTube.

Sources aid BJP has allocated substantial funds to advertise their messages, using a combination of videos and images to creatively reach the targeted electorates. On Facebook, the BJP has spent a whopping Rs 2,58,34,976 over 30 days, from December 26 to January 24, according to Google Transparency Report. This expenditure covers around 863 advertisements, which includes a diverse mix of content ranging from short, impactful videos to visually compelling image posts. Trailing behind in Facebook advertising, AAP spent Rs 77,80,887 on 625 advertisements, while Congress followed suit with a more modest expenditure of Rs 23,22,372 across 49 ads.

The competition doesn’t stop at Facebook. On YouTube, a platform widely used in India, political ads have become ubiquitous ahead of the state elections, which are scheduled to take place on February 5. The BJP once again took the lead in terms of spending, shelling out Rs 4,34,15,250 between December 1 and January 27 for 505 YouTube ads. On January 25 alone, the BJP spent Rs 27,40,000, followed by Rs 24,60,000 on January 12, and Rs 23,30,000 on January 11. Through these ads, the BJP is deploying a variety of creative approaches to capture the attention of voters.

AAP, ranking second in YouTube spending, invested Rs 78,53,000 on 90 advertisements during this period. The party’s videos have been focused on promoting key promises, including the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana’ and ‘Sanjeevni Yojana,’ both aimed at garnering public support while criticizing the BJP for allegedly planning to end public welfare schemes.

The maximum AAP spent on YouTube was on December 31, with Rs 4,01,000, followed by Rs 3,90,000 on January 6. The Congress party, though trailing in terms of expenditure, spent Rs 68,25,500 on 41 ads during this period, with peak spending on January 24, when the party spent Rs 10,30,000. Congress’s campaign videos include promises such as the ‘Yuva Udaan Yojana,’ which pledges stipends for unemployed youth if elected to power.

Meanwhile, Google has emerged as another key platform for election advertising. The BJP, once again the frontrunner, spent Rs 73,439,750 on 5,764 Google ads between December 1, 2024, and January 27, 2025. Of this total, videos accounted for approximately 60 per cent of the ads, highlighting the growing importance of video content in political advertising. One of the BJP’s more creative ads featured a metaphorical breakup with AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, encouraging voters to abandon their support for him in the upcoming elections.

Congress, while more conservative in its digital advertising budget, spent Rs 10,917,250 on 117 Google ads, with 66 per cent of that expenditure directed towards video content. AAP, though third in Google ad spending, allocated Rs 8,421,250 to 208 ads, with a significant 93.7 per cent of that budget going toward video advertising.

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