Bihar’s political ad spend surges to over Rs 4.8 crore on Google, Meta
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the top spender, leading in both Google and Meta ad spends. On Google, the BJP spent Rs 2.98 crore in the last 30 days. On Meta, their ad spend was Rs 1. 6 crore for the same period.
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In Bihar's upcoming November 2025 assembly elections, digital platforms have emerged as a critical battleground. With a young population and high internet penetration, political parties are heavily investing in online campaigns, utilizing a mix of video content, satire, and influencer partnerships.
In the 30 days leading up to the election, political parties in Bihar spent over Rs 48.1 million on digital advertising on Google and Meta alone. This accounts for more than a quarter of the total national spending by parties on these platforms, which stood at Rs 178 million in the same period.
Google's transparency data shows that video advertising dominates political spending in India, making up 72.9% (Rs 75.6 million) of total expenditure in the last month. Image-based ads followed at 21.7% (Rs 22.5 million), while text ads accounted for just 5.3% (Rs 5.5 million).
In Bihar specifically, total digital political ad spending was Rs 16 million in the past 30 days. However, experts estimate the overall spend, including local and smaller platforms, to be at least 50% higher.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the top spender, leading in both Google and Meta ad spends. On Google, the BJP spent Rs 29.8 million in the last 30 days. On Meta, their ad spend was Rs 16 million for the same period.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spent a token Rs 99,000 on Meta. Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (United), Congress, and Jan Suraj reported zero ad spends on Google and Meta during this timeframe.
Campaign Strategies
Political parties are adopting diverse digital strategies to engage Bihar's massive online audience, which includes over 7.25 crore smartphone users and over 7 crore active social media accounts.
The BJP and JD(U) are focusing on amplifying governance reels that highlight infrastructure projects, such as the Ganga six-lane bridge, and welfare schemes. They are using AI-powered personalization and animations to target urban youth, while reaching rural voters with Bhojpuri folk songs and content from village influencers.
The RJD is experimenting with satire and humor. Tejashwi Yadav, the party's leader, is making reels with youth creators to position himself as relatable to a younger audience.
Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj has built one of the most professional grassroots digital operations in the state, while Chirag Paswan’s LJP is leveraging its “Chirag ka Chaupal” campaign for both physical and digital outreach.
Bihar's election is a tight race, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar facing the Opposition's INDIA bloc, headed by the RJD. The 243-seat Assembly is currently held by the NDA with 131 seats and the INDIA bloc with 111 seats, making the digital battle for a majority even more critical.
