The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become the first political entity to surpass Rs 100 crore in expenditure on Google advertisements.
This revelation comes amidst a backdrop of digital campaigning ahead of the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Since May 2018, when Google initiated the publication of its Google Ads Transparency report, the BJP's digital campaign expenditure has soared to over Rs 101 crore, matching the combined spending of the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the political advisory firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC).
The BJP's share in Google ads between May 31, 2018, and April 25, 2024, amounts to approximately 26 per cent of the total political ad expenditure on the platform, totaling Rs 390 crore, according to the analysis.
Google's classification of political ads encompasses a broad spectrum, ranging from advertisements by news organizations to government publicity departments and commercial ads featuring actor-politicians.
The BJP has been prolific in its digital campaigns, with over 161,000 of the total 217,992 pieces of content categorized as "political advertisement" by Google originating from the party. Predominantly targeting residents of Karnataka, the BJP's ad spending in the state reached Rs 10.8 crore, followed by significant outlays in Uttar Pradesh (Rs 10.3 crore), Rajasthan (Rs 8.5 crore), and Delhi (Rs 7.6 crore).
Tamil Nadu emerged as the primary focus of political ads on Google, followed by Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.
In contrast, the principal opposition party, the Indian National Congress, trails behind with a digital ad expenditure of Rs 45 crore.
Accounting for just 3.7 per cent of the BJP's advertising volume, the Congress's online campaigns predominantly targeted Karnataka, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh, with significant expenditure in these regions.
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