With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections barely a few weeks away, political campaigns have reached a fever pitch both on the ground and virtually. With India ranking very high on the list of countries with the largest number of Internet users in the world, parties have recognized the power of social media and are investing significant sums into their digital campaigns. Consequently, social media advertisements have come up as a crucial means for parties to communicate with the electorate.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others provide advertisers with enough information to run targeted advertisements reaching millions of voters. These targeted advertisements are based on factors such as location, demographics, interests, language, and behaviour, to achieve maximum impact.
Methodology
Alt News filtered data from the top 100 pages that spent the most on political advertisements in the last 90 days, as published by the Meta Ad Library on March 19 of this year. Advertisements run by leaders in their personal capacity were excluded from this data. Rahul Gandhi’s page is included in this data because the disclaimer in the advertisements run by him mentions the name of the Congress party.
Political advertisements on Facebook pages are of two types: official party pages, which share posts and propaganda according to party lines, and other pages that support a particular party through all posts and advertisements but do not have any official affiliation with the party. The expenditures on advertisements by these pages are not accounted for by the Election Commission. We have categorized such pages as proxy pages.
Analysis of this data revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has spent the most on political advertisements, but the expenditure on advertisements by BJP’s proxy pages exceeded that on their official advertisements.
Party and Government Advertisement Expenditure
BJP (including official and proxy pages)
The Bharatiya Janata Party has spent Rs. 74,407,939 on 10,884 advertisements through official pages and Rs. 84,175,893 through proxy pages.
| Page ID | Page name | Disclaimer | Amount spent (INR) | Number of ads |
| 121439954563203 | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) | 61670515 | 2710 |
| 174425559078659 | Ulta Chashma – उल्टा चस्मा | Ulta Chashmaa | 20333950 | 428 |
| 574079826086251 | Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar | phirekbaarmodisarkar.com | 18714772 | 2498 |
| 192548643939288 | MemeXpress | Memes Xpress | 6835584 | 183 |
| 206212622563937 | Political X-Ray | Political X Ray | 6107215 | 161 |
| 192548643939288 | MemeXpress | Ulta Chashmaa | 4705068 | 105 |
| 1987488401557504 | Mahathugbandhan – महाठगबंधन | Mahathugbandhan – महाठगबंधन | 4031860 | 1092 |
| 206212622563937 | Political X-Ray | Ulta Chashmaa | 3903094 | 60 |
| 108923581963430 | Nirmamata | Nirmamata | 3892330 | 1023 |
| 1400615623488784 | BJP Odisha | BJP Odisha | 3834648 | 742 |
| 113730508499849 | Mudde ki Baat – मुद्दे की बात | Mudde Ki Baat | 3380826 | 58 |
| 1563310070576778 | BJP Andhra Pradesh | BJP Andhra Pradesh | 2440155 | 479 |
| 107026039151450 | మన మోదీ | manamodi.com | 1926026 | 843 |
| 118554107945158 | Badlenge Sarkar, Badlenge Bihar | badlengesarkarbadlengebihar.com | 1736517 | 720 |
| 162311940465517 | BJYM | Bharatiya Janata Party | 1563415 | 335 |
| 721713357902229 | Mahila Morcha BJP | Bharatiya Janata Party | 1429489 | 567 |
| 100198806388306 | The Nation Vibes | The Nation Vibes | 1307936 | 717 |
| 180161138515248 | କେତେଦିନ ସହିବା? / Ketedina Sahibaa? | କେତେଦିନ ସହିବା? / Ketedina Sahibaa? | 1248691 | 660 |
| 1464414077034071 | BJP ST Morcha | Bharatiya Janata Party | 1112712 | 336 |
| 104136199047870 | Bharat Todo Gang – भारत तोड़ो गैंग | Bharat Todo Gang – भारत तोड़ो गैंग | 1096140 | 1104 |
| 180005665207295 | Kannada Sangamam – ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಂಗಮ | Ulta Chashmaa | 1080219 | 58 |
| 179670408573941 | Tamilakam – தமிழகம் | Ulta Chashmaa | 1035065 | 60 |
| 262572220917547 | भाजपा राष्ट्रीय अनुसूचित जाति मोर्चा – BJP SC Morcha | Bharatiya Janata Party | 617101 | 375 |
| 1542743585786974 | Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar – Gujarat | Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar – Gujarat | 613048 | 54 |
| 114233898263244 | Indian Compass Videos | theindiancompass.com | 578166 | 824 |
| 283350415665978 | Ek Akela Sab Par Bhari | Ek Akela Sab Par Bhari | 545109 | 251 |
| 244801258708580 | Telangana Central – తెలంగాణ సెంట్రల్ | Ulta Chashmaa | 496639 | 8 |
| 239720143296109 | BJP OBC Morcha | Bharatiya Janata Party | 491213 | 42 |
| 107848055262209 | Paltu Paltan – पलटू पलटन | Paltu Paltan – पलटू पलटन | 482186 | 290 |
| 115529624796206 | Hokage Modi Sama | Hokage Modi Sama | 473771 | 296 |
| 249708958217278 | Malabar Central – മലബാർ സെൻട്രൽ | Ulta Chashmaa | 461084 | 36 |
| 247944825069932 | Amaar Sonar Bangla – অমর সোনার বাংলা | Ulta Chashmaa | 439288 | 15 |
| Total | 158583832 | 17130 |
Congress:
The Congress party has spent Rs. 4,298,268 on 614 advertisements.
| Page ID | Page name | Disclaimer | Amount spent (INR) | Number of ads |
| 294493857651676 | Rahul Gandhi | Indian National Congress | 3585788 | 158 |
| 351616078284404 | Indian National Congress | Indian National Congress | 712480 | 456 |
| Total | 4298268 | 614 |
TMC:
The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, has spent Rs. 6,373,293 on 423 advertisements.
| Page ID | Page name | Disclaimer | Amount spent (INR) | Number of ads |
| 218904931482352 | All India Trinamool Congress | All India Trinamool Congress | 4758354 | 310 |
| 108777655527686 | Trinamoole Nabo Jowar | Trinamoole Nabo Jowar | 1614939 | 113 |
| Total | 6373293 | 423 |
YSRCP:
The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party led by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has spent Rs. 16,999,080 on 566 advertisements.
| Page ID | Page name | Disclaimer | Amount spent (INR) | Number of ads |
| 104211439033799 | Jagane Kavali | Jagane Kavali | 4185707 | 200 |
| 111986798594822 | Jagananna Suraksha | Jagane Kavali | 4017803 | 95 |
| 327120054405346 | Jagananna ki Thoduga | Jagan Anna ki Thoduga | 3087881 | 139 |
| 213811765155120 | Memu Siddham Maa Booth Siddham | Jaganna Tho Siddham | 1857632 | 24 |
| 175139949013002 | Jagan: The Juggernaut | Team Jagananna | 1319338 | 40 |
| 229008700302978 | Praja Theerpu | Jagananna Tho Siddham | 736761 | 17 |
| 105209472211637 | Voice of Andhra | Voice of Andhra | 696989 | 18 |
| 204792022725505 | Memantha Siddham | Jaganannatho Siddham | 657413 | 21 |
| 205049862700772 | Jagananna Kosam Siddham | Jagananna Tho Siddham | 439556 | 12 |
| Total | 16999080 | 566 |
Government Advertisements:
During these 90 days, the central government and various state governments collectively spent Rs. 46,140,328 on 1,223 advertisements.
| Page ID | Page name | Disclaimer | Amount spent (INR) | Number of ads |
| 192856493908290 | Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha | Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha | 18670367 | 357 |
| 775974615850063 | MyGovIndia | MyGovIndia | 14202725 | 67 |
| 418662318473847 | Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha | Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha | 3255261 | 35 |
| 138622632667217 | Laxmi/ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ | Laxmi/ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ | 2196960 | 19 |
| 114035533329593 | Mo Sarkar 5T | MoSarkar 5T | 1603172 | 37 |
| 106966414891832 | DIPR TN | DIPR TN | 1275814 | 93 |
| 220329711159719 | Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department, Maharashtra | Olio Global AdTech | 787092 | 172 |
| 319693278479184 | Finance Department, Government of Odisha | Finance Department, Government of Odisha | 781383 | 20 |
| 179243868596011 | ନୂଆ-ଓ | ନୂଆ-ଓ | 742899 | 157 |
| 1195267553857448 | Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, Government of Odisha | Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, Government of Odisha | 684839 | 7 |
| 113373710385095 | कृषी विभाग महाराष्ट्र शासन | कृषी विभाग महाराष्ट्र शासन | 511328 | 78 |
| 269612676227090 | सामान्य प्रशासन विभाग – सामाजिक विकास समन्वय, महाराष्ट्र शासन | Olio Global AdTech | 504179 | 24 |
| 314832518976952 | Fisheries & ARD Department | Fisheries & ARD Department | 478860 | 16 |
| 102379519139483 | जल जीवन मिशन महाराष्ट्र | जल जीवन मिशन महाराष्ट्र | 445449 | 141 |
| Total | 46140328 | 1223 |
Proxy Pages:
Apart from official pages of political parties, a whole bunch of controversial proxy and meme pages have emerged as key players as far as running divisive advertisements is concerned. These pages not only target opposition parties but often amplify contentious narratives. By concealing their true identities, they work on behalf of political parties and publish ads that cannot be run through official channels. These advertisements often use humour, satire, and sarcasm to mock opposition parties and their leaders, and frequently allude to communal angles.
Several pages in this list attack the Opposition and bolster the BJP’s propaganda, with higher expenditures on advertisements compared to BJP’s official pages. Alt News had previously exposed some of these pages in an investigation in April 2023, revealing their direct connections with the BJP.
| Page ID | Page name | Disclaimer | Amount spent (INR) | Number of ads |
| 174425559078659 | Ulta Chashma – उल्टा चस्मा | Ulta Chashmaa | 20333950 | 428 |
| 574079826086251 | Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar | phirekbaarmodisarkar.com | 18714772 | 2498 |
| 192548643939288 | MemeXpress | Memes Xpress | 6835584 | 183 |
| 206212622563937 | Political X-Ray | Political X Ray | 6107215 | 161 |
| 192548643939288 | MemeXpress | Ulta Chashmaa | 4705068 | 105 |
| 1987488401557500 | Mahathugbandhan – महाठगबंधन | Mahathugbandhan – महाठगबंधन | 4031860 | 1092 |
| 206212622563937 | Political X-Ray | Ulta Chashmaa | 3903094 | 60 |
| 108923581963430 | Nirmamata | Nirmamata | 3892330 | 1023 |
| 113730508499849 | Mudde ki Baat – मुद्दे की बात | Mudde Ki Baat | 3380826 | 58 |
| 107026039151450 | మన మోదీ | manamodi.com | 1926026 | 843 |
| 118554107945158 | Badlenge Sarkar, Badlenge Bihar | badlengesarkarbadlengebihar.com | 1736517 | 720 |
| 100198806388306 | The Nation Vibes | The Nation Vibes | 1307936 | 717 |
| 104136199047870 | Bharat Todo Gang – भारत तोड़ो गैंग | Bharat Todo Gang – भारत तोड़ो गैंग | 1096140 | 1104 |
| 180005665207295 | Kannada Sangamam – ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಂಗಮ | Ulta Chashmaa | 1080219 | 58 |
| 179670408573941 | Tamilakam – தமிழகம் | Ulta Chashmaa | 1035065 | 60 |
| 1542743585786970 | Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar – Gujarat | Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar – Gujarat | 613048 | 54 |
| 114233898263244 | Indian Compass Videos | theindiancompass.com | 578166 | 824 |
| 283350415665978 | Ek Akela Sab Par Bhari | Ek Akela Sab Par Bhari | 545109 | 251 |
| 244801258708580 | Telangana Central – తెలంగాణ సెంట్రల్ | Ulta Chashmaa | 496639 | 8 |
| 107848055262209 | Paltu Paltan – पलटू पलटन | Paltu Paltan – पलटू पलटन | 482186 | 290 |
| 115529624796206 | Hokage Modi Sama | Hokage Modi Sama | 473771 | 296 |
| 249708958217278 | Malabar Central – മലബാർ സെൻട്രൽ | Ulta Chashmaa | 461084 | 36 |
| 247944825069932 | Amaar Sonar Bangla – অমর সোনার বাংলা | Ulta Chashmaa | 439288 | 15 |
| Total | 84175893 | 10884 |
Sensitive Advertisements:
Some advertisements run by these pages are so inflammatory and sensitive that political parties refrain from posting them on their official pages. Advertisements run through proxy pages often touch upon divisive issues and exploit prejudices. Alt News reported last month about a political advertisement depicting live murder, which had been viewed more than 30 million times. Upon informing Meta, they acknowledged the violation of their standards and took action against it.
Several advertisements have displayed violence and targeted political adversaries. Examples of some such advertisements are provided below. Meta took action against many of these advertisements later, although by then they had already garnered lakhs of views collectively.
Click to view slideshow.Pages with similar disclaimers:
Here we have listed pages with identical disclaimers. The disclaimer on all of these pages reads “Ulta Chashmaa.” Upon checking the details of these disclaimers, it is evident that these pages, which target the Opposition and propagate BJP’s agenda, are operated by the same admin. All these pages are included in the list of BJP’s proxy pages. One such page is ‘सीधा चश्मा’ (Straight Glasses), which was created on March 5 and has spent over Rs. 15 Lakh on advertisements so far.
The disclaimer of this page also contains details associated with ‘उल्टा चश्मा’ (Ulta Chashma), meaning this page is also a part of BJP’s proxy pages. One page, ‘Sonar Bangla – সোনার বাংলা,’ has now been deleted. Between March 5 and 7, this page spent Rs. 3,27,000 running nine advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. However, it is noteworthy that when the data of this page is searched in the Meta Ad Library according to date range, only four advertisements are shown. However, upon further inspection, it is revealed that nine advertisements were indeed run by this page. This raises questions about the data released by Meta.
| Page name | Disclaimer |
| Ulta Chashma – उल्टा चस्मा | Ulta Chashmaa |
| Political X-Ray | Ulta Chashmaa |
| MemeXpress | Ulta Chashmaa |
| Tamilakam – தமிழகம் | Ulta Chashmaa |
| Sidha Chashma – सीधा चश्मा | Sidha Chashma – सीधा चश्मा |
| Amaar Sonar Bangla – অমর সোনার বাংলা | Ulta Chashmaa |
| Kannada Sangamam – ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಂಗಮ | Ulta Chashmaa |
| Telangana Central – తెలంగాణ సెంట్రల్ | Ulta Chashmaa |
| Malabar Central – മലബാർ സെൻട്രൽ | Ulta Chashmaa |
| Sonar Bangla – সোনার বাংলা (This Page has been deleted.) | Ulta Chashmaa |
Political parties are spending large sums on online advertisements, including via proxy pages. This also raises the question of whether parties maintain accounts for advertisements run through proxy pages. This expenditure raises questions about electoral transparency. As the general elections in India draw closer, all parties are increasingly focusing on digital advertisements, with the role of proxy pages also gaining prominence. The lack of transparency and accountability regarding expenditure and content of political advertisements on social media will continue to be a subject of scrutiny in the near future.
The post BJP way ahead of others in political ad spending on Meta; proxy pages spent more than official ones appeared first on Alt News.
This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.
Abhishek Kumar | Radio Free (2024-04-02T03:58:49+00:00) BJP way ahead of others in political ad spending on Meta; proxy pages spent more than official ones. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2024/04/02/bjp-way-ahead-of-others-in-political-ad-spending-on-meta-proxy-pages-spent-more-than-official-ones/
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