Delhi polls: Google ad spend reaches Rs 23 crore in last 30 days, BJP leads the race

As the day of Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 dawns, its digital battleground has become increasingly complex and fiercely contested. Political parties pulled out all the stops, leveraging cutting-edge technology and pouring unprecedented sums into online advertising to sway voters in the national capital.

The last 30 days have seen a staggering Rs 228,362,000 spent on 8,104 political ads across Google platforms alone, according to the Google Ads Transparency Centre. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the undisputed leader in this digital arms race, shelling out a whopping Rs 102 million on Google ads nationwide. In Delhi specifically, the BJP's expenditure reached Rs 89.4 million, showcasing their laser focus on the capital's electorate.

Not to be outdone, the Indian National Congress has invested Rs 31.5 million nationally and Rs 30.2 million in Delhi, while the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has allocated Rs 16.5 million and Rs 15.1 million respectively. Interestingly, the Central Bureau of Communication, formerly known as DAVP, has also thrown its hat into the ring with a substantial Rs 34.5 million spend, indicating the government's active role in shaping the digital narrative (to put it diplomatically).

According to business strategist and independent director Lloyd Mathias, digital has now become mainstream in political campaigning, replacing the traditional reliance on physical rallies and roadside outreach. “It’s no longer the old days of just physical rallies and roadside prachar,” he said, emphasizing how digital platforms now serve as the backbone of election strategy.

In discussing advertising spends, Mathias highlighted that the ruling party at the center, the BJP, continues to lead in terms of digital ad budgets. “Their spends have always been well ahead,” he noted. While full-page newspaper ads remain a visible element in the final stretch before election day, the primary focus has shifted to digital outreach, particularly across major platforms like Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Meta’s ecosystem, which now includes WhatsApp, is playing an increasingly significant role in the campaign landscape.

Beyond paid media, says another political strategist, the role of influencers has become a crucial yet underreported aspect of campaign strategy. “The real big spend, which is not really kind of tracked in that sense, is the use of influencers and the use of platforms like WhatsApp,” he explained. Political parties are leveraging influencers across YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) to disseminate their messaging, often through short-format videos designed for virality.

The preference for video content is unmistakable, with 71.8% of Google's political ad spend, amounting to Rs 164 million, dedicated to this format. Image ads trail behind at 27.1% (Rs 61.9 million), while text ads barely make a dent at 1.1% (Rs 2.51 million). This trend underscores the power of visual storytelling in capturing voter attention in an increasingly crowded digital space.

Rajni Daswani, Director - Digital Marketing, SoCheers, agrees, saying, “This time, we’re also seeing a surge in influencer-led campaigns. Not the usual political commentators, but micro-influencers—local food bloggers, college YouTubers, and even meme pages—subtly weaving political narratives into everyday content. Some political parties have tapped into pop culture shows and created their own versions to connect with the youth.”

She adds that this year, in particular, Delhi's elections have seen a heavy investment in digital promotions compared to other states like Maharashtra and Haryana.

Turning to Meta platforms, the spending spree continues unabated. Between January 2 and January 31, 2025, the BJP Delhi Facebook page invested a hefty Rs 36,629,592 on 850 ads related to social issues, elections, or politics. The AAP and Congress weren't far behind, spending Rs 6,639,061 and Rs 5,409,144, respectively. Delhi has emerged as the highest-spending state on Facebook ads, with a total outlay of Rs 68,011,905 on politically relevant content.

However, Mathias pointed out that a major yet largely unquantifiable factor in political advertising is the extensive use of WhatsApp forwards. "One big unreported factor, which is very difficult to quantify, is really the extent of use of WhatsApp forwards," he said, stressing how these messages flood voter groups but are not tracked in official spending data.

But it's not just about throwing money at the problem. An anonymous digital marketing agency head reveals that the 2025 Delhi Elections have ushered in two significant developments in digital campaigning. First, there's been a widespread adoption of AI for content creation, marking a paradigm shift from traditional digital strategies. Political parties are now adept at creating viral content by cleverly altering popular media clips, all while adhering to the Election Commission's new transparency guidelines for AI-generated material.

“Secondly, parties have fine-tuned their platform-specific approaches. X (formerly Twitter) has become the arena for political discourse, where AI-driven content is shared and trending conversations are carefully managed. Facebook serves as a mass outreach tool, focusing on campaign videos and targeted advertising. Meanwhile, WhatsApp drives grassroots engagement through direct voter communication and campaign updates,” said the agency head.

However, Mathias noted that despite advancements in AI, political parties have yet to fully exploit personalized calling techniques. “I haven’t really seen any personalized telecalling,” he said, suggesting that AI-driven calls that address recipients by name could add a new dimension to voter engagement. “That’s a trick that has been missed, because clearly, to my mind, some degree of personalization in telecalling would make a difference.”

Given AI’s capabilities in generating synthetic voices, Mathias argued that its application in political messaging remains an area of untapped potential. “In this part, possibly, politics is lagging behind the business world,” he said, adding that while AI-powered personalization is yet to take off, political parties have mastered influencer marketing and WhatsApp-driven voter outreach.

The real game-changer this election cycle, however, is the emphasis on hyper-local targeting. Campaigns are now more closely aligned with regional and cultural preferences than ever before, creating a digital environment that balances innovation with accountability.

As the Delhi elections take place, the digital battleground continues to evolve, with political parties investing heavily in online platforms and influencer-driven narratives. While official spending data reflects significant allocations toward Google and Meta properties, the true scale of campaign influence extends far beyond these numbers, shaped by untracked WhatsApp messaging and influencer-driven content.