Political advertising in West Bengal is witnessing a notable digital surge as the state gears up for the anticipated Assembly elections, expected between March and May 2026. According to [Google Ad Library data](https://www.pitchonnet.com/pitch-feature/10-crore-on-google-in-a-month-as-digital-election-battle-intensifies-in-west-bengal-39259.html), total political advertising expenditure on the platform in West Bengal reached ₹10.3 crore across 3,969 ads in just one month, from February 8 to March 9. This underscores the increasing reliance on digital platforms as a core component of election campaigning.
Other states expected to go to the polls during this timeframe have also seen an uptick in digital political spending, with Tamil Nadu reporting ₹5.87 crore, Assam at ₹2.25 crore, and Kerala around ₹9,47,000. However, West Bengal’s digital spending clearly stands out.
A closer look at the data reveals that a limited number of advertisers have contributed significantly to the overall spending in West Bengal. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounted for ₹1.21 crore across 2,226 ads in the last 30 days, while Indian PAC Consulting Private Limited, the consulting firm representing the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), spent ₹2.34 crore through 683 ads. The remaining ₹6.75 crore has been distributed among smaller parties.
The Spending Gap
Data from the [Meta Ad Library](https://www.pitchonnet.com/pitch-feature/10-crore-on-google-in-a-month-as-digital-election-battle-intensifies-in-west-bengal-39259.html) shows a striking spending gap between the two major political players in West Bengal. From March 1 to March 7, the BJP spent an estimated ₹33,31,392 on political and social issue advertisements, compared to the AITC’s ₹9,33,901 within the same week. This indicates that the BJP’s weekly ad expenditure on Meta platforms was more than three times that of the AITC, suggesting a stronger digital campaign strategy by the BJP in the lead-up to the elections.
Video Content Takes Center Stage
On Google platforms, advertising strategies have shown a clear preference for video content, which accounts for a staggering 92.6 percent of total expenditure at ₹9.55 crore. In contrast, image-based ads comprise 7.26 percent and text-only ads a mere 0.133 percent. This trend indicates that political campaigns are focusing on visually engaging formats to broaden their reach and increase audience interaction.
Experts note that this growing investment in digital advertising reflects the rising influence of international digital platforms in shaping political communication strategies. Shudeep Majumdar, Co-founder and CEO of Zefmo, asserts that in high-stakes environments like West Bengal, digital political ad spending during elections can soar into several crores, with Google and Meta often capturing 60-70% of the digital allocation. Transparency reports have confirmed a marked increase in political ad activity in the run-up to polling dates.
A Shift in Communication Strategies
The shift towards digital is not merely a trend; it signifies an evolution in political communication. Amit Dhawan, Co-founder at Crack’d, explains that modern campaigns navigate complex digital ecosystems, moving away from traditional advertising methods. Instead of solely relying on rallies, print, television, and outdoor media, contemporary campaigns integrate short videos, influencer collaborations, and rapid-response content to maintain a constant presence in voters’ social media feeds.
This sophisticated approach also extends to the outreach of social media creators. Several influencers in Kolkata have reported being approached for paid collaborations to produce political content. These initiatives often target influencers with a minimum of 20,000 followers on Instagram, highlighting the strategic push toward localised messaging for better community engagement.
Data-Driven Targeting
Digital platforms enable highly precise audience segmentation, a capability that is unprecedented in political advertising. Nikhil Rangnekar, CEO of MediaCircle, notes that voters openly express their political opinions on social media, allowing campaigns to tailor messaging specifically for different audience segments. He emphasizes that while digital platforms can dominate advertising budgets, traditional media still plays a crucial role in achieving wide-scale impact.
Staying Grounded in Emotional Narratives
While technology is reshaping how campaigns are conducted, the underlying messaging often remains rooted in West Bengal’s emotive political culture. Majumdar points out that identity and sentiment drive voter responses more than policy pledges, making local sentiment a crucial aspect of effective campaign strategies. The last Assembly election in 2021 demonstrated this, with the AITC securing a landslide victory while the BJP emerged as a formidable opposition.
Women Voters: A Significant Bloc
The influence of women voters is also becoming increasingly prominent in the political landscape of West Bengal. Recent data indicates that women electors number around 3.44 crore, nearly half of the state’s total electorate of 7.04 crore. The rise in female voter turnout over the past two decades underscores the importance of this demographic, which has been pivotal in recent elections. In 2021, women’s turnout was slightly higher than men’s, at 81.75 percent compared to 81.37 percent.
As the election cycle intensifies, the surge in digital spending signifies a rapid transformation in political communication in West Bengal. While traditional formats like television and print remain relevant, the focus is increasingly on targeted digital advertising, short-form videos, and influencer collaborations to sway public opinion. With polling on the horizon, it is evident that campaigns are now vying for voter attention not solely through physical rallies but also across the social media feeds of millions of voters.
