BJP’S AD BLITZKRIEG

Many commentators have described the BJP as an election-winning machine. And with five state polls under way, or about to begin, the party is lavishing money on advertising campaigns. It was the top advertised brand on television, ahead of the likes of Netflix, Dettol Liquid Soap and Amazon Prime Video in the week ending November 16, according to data released by the Broadcast Audience Research Council. No other political party was in the top 10. While this does not mean the BJP spent more money on ads than any organisation in the country (Hindustan Lever was the top advertiser for that week), it did spend more than any other single brand. Congress leader Manish Tewari, a former information and broadcasting minister, described it as an evidence of crony capitalism. While that might be a stretch, it is certainly evidence that the BJP has vastly more funds at its disposal than the Congress or any other national party. Over its first term in office, the BJP has reportedly spent more than the previous government, led by Manmohan Singh, managed across two.