By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Disruption of the ability of the opposition to run political campaigns has been well pronounced since January 1, 2024 to March 22, which can even be seen in the political advertising through Google. No national political party other than the BJP is among the top 10 political campaigners online. PM Narendra Modi is thus seen everywhere giving the wrong impression of his so-called charisma, while it was in reality the effect of the advertising campaigns worth billions of rupees, spent not only by the BJP but also through Central Ministries and departments.
There is no level playing field. Moreover, there is also ethical and legal violation such as of the Model Code of Conduct, as seen in the recent order of the Election Commission of India asking the government stopping the Vikasit Bharat Whatsapp campaign. Modi government disproportionately collected money through electoral bond scheme and in numerous other ways and placed itself far ahead than any other political party in the country in spending on political campaigns in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Modi government had other strategies too – such as crackdown on political opponent through summons, raids, seizures and arrests by misusing the central investigating agencies, such as the CBI, ED, and the Department of Income tax. The latest being the arrest of AAP leader and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, and freezing of accounts of the chief opposition political party Congress, one is intended to physically disrupt and the other is to financially cripple political campaigns of the Opposition INDIA alliance, which is still likely to offer one-on-one contest to BJP on most of the Lok Sabha seats. It should be worth noting that both the AAP and the Congress are two of the six national political parties, the chief challenger of PM Narendra Modi and BJP.
Looking at the spending on political advertising through Google gives the insight on the disturbing trend. According the Google Ads Transparency Centre, BJP was the top political advertiser that spent Rs 313 million on online political campaigns between January 1, 2024 to March 22, 2024 upto 12 AM. The Central Bureau of Communication (previously known as DAVP – Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity) spent Rs 304 million. These were two among 9 top political advertisers. There was no national political party in this bracket. The only political party in this bracket was Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which is regional party of Odisha, that spent much less at only Rs 20.8 million. It is worth noting that BJD has been supporting BJP at national level on all important issues in the last five years, and talks are still going on between the two for a pre-poll alliance. Additionally, the Central Bureau of Communication has other account also through which Rs10.4 million were spent on political advertising for PM Narendra Modi. Other political advertisers included various companies, many of them advertised indirectly in favour of BJP or against the Opposition. It is clear that almost all the media space was bought for PM Narendra Modi.
BJP’s advertising campaigns started on Google on January 19 with a spend of Rs 105,000, that reached its peak on February 4 to Rs 18.4 million on a single day. BJP ran its substantial political campaign throughout February, and on February 28, the party spent Rs 12.6 million. It’s spend has substantially reduced in March to less than Rs 1 million spend, and on March 21 its spend on political campaign was only Rs 405,000.
Central Bureau of Communication spent on political campaign for PM Narendra Modi on almost every day. Its highest spend through one of its account reached its peak Rs 24.6 million on February 16, and ending on March 16, just before the announcement of the General Election by Election Commission of India. The Bureau’s another account spent chiefly from March 10 to March 15.
Financially crippled Indian National Congress, the major opposition party in the INDIA alliance, could not start its political campaign in 2024 until March 13, the day on which it spent Rs 416,000. Total spend of the Congress so far is only Rs 2.5 million, much less than about Rs 627 million spent by the BJP and Central Bureau of Communication together, on enhancement of the political image of PM Narendra Modi.
Why the Congress, the chief challenger of the BJP and PM Narendra Modi could spend only a little? Congress has said that PM Narendra Modi led government has frozen their bank accounts disrupting their ability to campaign. “We have no money to campaign, we cannot support our candidates. Our ability to fight elections has been damaged,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said. “Our entire financial identity has been erased. … The idea that India is a democracy is a lie. There is no democracy in India today.”
On Thursday, March 21, Congress has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of using Income Tax Department to starve them of finances ahead of elections next month. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said they had made “a systematic effort to cripple the party financially.” The party said freezing of its accounts which have Rs 2.1 billion terming it “unprecedented and undemocratic”. Party treasurer Ajay Maken said their 11 accounts were frozen and the 2.1 billion rupees in them were put under lien – which means that those cannot be withdrawn or transferred, ie they cannot be used for their political campaigns. “This is not the freezing of Indian National Congress’ bank accounts,” Rahul Gandhi said adding, “This is the freezing of Indian Democracy.”
Congress treasurer Ajay Maken said the “unprecedented action” was because the tax authorities are demanding Rs1.4 million as tax. “All political parties are exempt from income tax. Then why is only the Congress being penalised?” he asked. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said these actions were affecting the level-playing field necessary in election adding that it amounted to destroying democracy in India.”We are unable to spend money on our election campaign, on advertisements and publicity, and to pay our party workers and to print campaign materials,” he said.
“There are institutions in the country that are supposed to protect the democratic framework,” Mr Rahul Gandhi said. “However, no court is saying anything. The Election Commission is silent, no other institution is speaking out, and the media is not addressing the issue.”
It is not only the Congress, but all political parties have accused Modi government of accelerating crackdown on political opponents and also financially crippling them to create uneven playing filed in the upcoming General Election, in which PM Narendra Modi is seeking for third term for himself and BJP.
The online spend of other political parties through Google advertising platform are almost nothing. YSRCP has spent Rs 3.6 million, but the parties like AAP, Trinamool Congress, DMK, etc have not spent anything until now. It is clear that money power has created an uneven playing field that is only advantage BJP and PM Narendra Modi, and which works against the opposition.
Election Commission of India has already identified curbing money power as one of the five challenges during the Lok Sabha General Election 2024. However, mere talking about it and not reining in PM Narendra Modi and BJP is spending unlimited amount of money in election campaigns, prior to and after announcement of election, is not acceptable. When everybody knows that candidates are announced by the BJP prior to announcement of election during which they spend money outside the purview of ECI, why there should not be any mechanism to stop such practices.
Since money power has made election 2024 far from free and fair, ECI and Supreme Court of India must do something to protect the rights of opposition political parties, not only in terms of financial spending and collection of money, but also stopping coercive actions of the Modi government that has accelerated crackdown on opposition leaders physically and financially. Restoration of level playing field for all political parties is need of the hour. (IPA Service)
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