Kolkata: Is the battle for Bengal now being fought more on screens than on streets? With a staggering ₹14 crore already spent on Meta platforms in just three months, the BJP vs TMC contest has exploded into a full-blown digital war, where algorithms, not just rallies, are shaping voter perception.

Data from Meta and Google Ads reveals that political campaigning in India has undergone a massive shift.

Across Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu, parties have collectively spent over ₹200 crore on online ads, signalling a new era of high-stakes digital elections.

In Bengal, the BJP has emerged as the biggest spender on Meta platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, shelling out ₹3.86 crore.

Breathing down its neck is the Trinamool Congress, with its official page and Abhishek Banerjee’s account together spending over ₹3.04 crore. The gap may be narrow, but the intensity of this digital duel is unmistakable.

And this is just one side of the story. Add Google Ads, including YouTube campaigns and website banners, and the spending surges even higher.

Here too, the BJP holds a slight edge, aggressively pushing narratives around alleged state government corruption and highlighting central schemes.

TMC, however, is not far behind, ensuring its counter-message reaches millions of voters online.

What makes this contest even more intriguing is the rise of ‘shadow pages’, unofficial social media handles that quietly amplify political messaging.

Pages like ‘Nirmamata’, known for pro-BJP content, have spent over ₹26 lakh in recent months. On the other hand, ‘Banglar Garv Mamata’ has pumped more than ₹70 lakh into boosting pro-TMC narratives.

Several other pages, ‘Abar Jitbe Bangla’, ‘Cholo Paltai’, ‘Ante Gha’, and ‘Bajra Konthe’, have collectively poured lakhs into ads since January.

In just the last month, some of these pages alone have spent over ₹15 lakh, intensifying the online slugfest and blurring the lines between official campaigns and proxy promotions.

The digital battle has even crossed state borders. BJP units from Assam and Telangana have actively targeted Bengal voters through Meta ads.

While BJP Assam spent around ₹70 lakh, BJP Telangana added over ₹19 lakh to influence voters in the state, raising questions about coordinated, nationwide digital strategies.

Meanwhile, the Left and Congress remain largely absent from this big-budget online race.

While Congress features marginally in national ad rankings, its Bengal presence is minimal. The Left, too, is far from matching the financial muscle of the BJP and the TMC.

However, CPM candidate Dipsita Dhar is attempting a different approach, crowdsourcing campaign content. By inviting creators to collaborate on social media posts, she hopes to build organic reach without massive ad spends.

As Bengal heads into a crucial election, one thing is clear: this is no longer just a fight for votes; it is a battle for visibility.

And in this new-age poll war, the real contest may well be decided not just at polling booths, but on the infinite scroll of social media feeds.