Congress outspent BJP on social media campaign in Delhi polls: ADR report

New Delhi: The Congress spent more than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on social media and overall publicity during the Delhi Assembly elections, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The analysis is based on expenditure statements submitted by political parties to the Election Commission.

The report shows that the Congress spent over Rs 40 crore on its election campaign in Delhi, around Rs 1 crore more than the BJP, which declared an expenditure of Rs 39.14 crore. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had been in power for three consecutive terms, spent significantly less, at around Rs 12 crore for the 2025 elections.

Spending on social media campaigns revealed a sharp contrast among parties. The BJP spent just Rs 5.26 lakh on social media promotion, while AAP allocated nearly Rs 3 crore. Congress emerged as the biggest spender in this segment, shelling out close to Rs 6 crore—nearly double AAP’s expenditure and almost ten times that of the BJP.

Despite high spending on digital outreach, Congress lagged behind in candidate-level expenditure. ADR noted that compared to the 2020 Assembly elections, Congress’s overall spending rose by a massive 161 per cent in 2025. In comparison, BJP’s expenditure increased by 20.5 per cent, while AAP reduced its spending by 32 per cent.

Overall, the total expenditure of six major parties that contested both the 2020 and 2025 elections increased by 39 per cent. Congress again topped the list in terms of percentage rise in spending.

However, the heavy expenditure did not translate into electoral success for Congress. Despite contesting all 70 seats, the party failed to win a single seat for the third consecutive Assembly election. The BJP contested 68 seats and won 48, while two seats were allotted to NDA allies Lok Janshakti Party and JD(U), though neither won. AAP contested all 70 seats and secured 22 seats.

The ADR report underlines the growing role of social media spending in elections, while also highlighting that higher expenditure does not necessarily guarantee electoral success.

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