Election spending reveals BJP's lavish campaign versus Congress's modest outlay

Analysis of Election Commission filings for the 2026 state elections shows the BJP allocating a substantially larger budget to general-party advertising, star-campaigner travel and influencer payments compared with Congress. While the BJP’s advertising spend exceeded Congress’s by nearly double, its travel expenses for senior leaders were also several times higher. Direct financial grants to candidates were relatively close, with the BJP only modestly ahead.

The BJP’s spending was heavily weighted toward West Bengal and Assam, whereas Congress focused most of its resources on Kerala. Both parties reported significant unpaid campaign liabilities, highlighting the scale of their electoral operations.