As Bihar gears up for the November 2025 assembly elections, political parties are increasingly turning to digital platforms as a primary battleground. With a large proportion of young voters and high internet penetration, parties are investing heavily in online campaigns that blend video content, satire, and influencer-driven outreach.
Data from Google and Meta shows that in the 30 days preceding the election, political parties in Bihar collectively spent over Rs 48.1 million on digital advertising on these platforms alone. This represents more than a quarter of the total national political ad spend of Rs 178 million during the same period. Google’s transparency report reveals that video ads dominate political spending, accounting for 72.9% (Rs 75.6 million) of total expenditure, followed by image-based ads at 21.7% (Rs 22.5 million) and text-based ads at just 5.3% (Rs 5.5 million).
BJP leads
In Bihar specifically, total digital ad spending on these major platforms stood at Rs 16 million over the past month. Experts, however, suggest that the overall spend, including smaller, regional platforms, could be at least 50% higher. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest spender, leading both Google and Meta ad campaigns. On Google, the BJP’s expenditure reached Rs 29.8 million, while its Meta spend totalled Rs 16 million. By contrast, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) reported a modest Rs 99,000 on Meta, and parties such as Janata Dal (United), Congress, and Jan Suraj did not register any ad spending on Google or Meta during this period.
Campaign strategies and voter targeting
Political parties are employing a range of digital strategies to connect with Bihar’s 7.25 crore smartphone users and over 7 crore active social media accounts. The BJP and JD(U) are highlighting governance achievements and welfare schemes, including infrastructure projects like the Ganga six-lane bridge. Their campaigns employ AI-powered personalisation and animated content to appeal to urban youth, while reaching rural voters through Bhojpuri folk songs and content created by village influencers.
The RJD is experimenting with satire and humour to engage younger audiences, with party leader Tejashwi Yadav collaborating with youth creators on reels that present a more relatable image. Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj is recognised for one of the most organised grassroots digital operations in the state, and Chirag Paswan’s LJP leverages its “Chirag ka Chaupal” initiative to maintain both physical and digital outreach. With the 243-seat Bihar Assembly closely contested, NDA holding 131 seats under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the INDIA bloc led by RJD at 111 seats, the digital sphere could prove decisive in shaping the outcome of this tightly fought election.