Parties spend Rs 4.81 Crore on digital ads ahead of Bihar polls

As Bihar heads for assembly elections in November 2025, political parties are turning digital platforms into a frontline battlefield. With crores of smartphone users and active social media accounts, online campaigning has become central to voter outreach.

In the past 30 days, ad spend by parties in Bihar is estimated at Rs 4.81 crore on digital advertising on Google and Meta alone, accounting for more than a quarter of the Rs 17.8 crore spent nationally during the same period.

Google’s Transparency data shows that video advertising dominates political spending in India, making up 72.9% (Rs 7.56 crore) of total expenditure, followed by image-based ads at 21.7% (Rs 2.25 crore) and text ads at 5.3% (Rs 55 Lakhs).

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading the charge, spending Rs 2.98 crore on Google and Rs 1.6 crore on Meta in the last month. Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spent just Rs 99,000 on Meta, while JD(U), Congress, and Jan Suraj reported zero spends on these platforms.

Looking at shorter cycles, in the last seven days alone, the BJP spent Rs 27 Lakhs on Google and Meta, while JD(U) managed Rs 99,357.

The BJP and JD(U) are amplifying governance reels showcasing projects like the Ganga six-lane bridge and welfare schemes, using AI-powered personalisation for youth and Bhojpuri folk songs for rural voters.

The RJD is experimenting with satire and humor, with leader Tejashwi Yadav making reels with young creators.

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Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj has built a strong grassroots digital network, while Chirag Paswan’s LJP is pushing its ‘Chirag ka Chaupal’ campaign across both physical and online platforms.

Parties are using not just celebrities but also local storytellers, folk singers, and student vloggers to build trust with voters.

However, transparency remains a challenge. Bihar’s Economic Offences Unit flagged over 430 objectionable posts in the first seven months of 2025, filing FIRs in 15 cases. Concerns around fake followers, bot-driven amplification, and undisclosed influencer promotions continue to grow.

With the ruling NDA holding 131 seats and the INDIA bloc 111 in the 243-seat assembly, the outcome is expected to be closely contested. As the Election Commission readies to announce the poll schedule, the digital battleground is already shaping the narrative ahead of Bihar’s high-stakes elections.