Delhi polls: How Facebook benefitted from the battle for votes

New Delhi, Feb 9: If you think that in the election season, battle for votes is only fought on streets, then you need to rethink as this time it was not only on ground but also on the social media.

As per a TOI report, "The battle for votes has been fought not just on the streets but online as well. And political parties and candidates have paid through their noses to get noticed. Advertising costs on Facebook, for instance, went up by four times in the countdown to the Delhi polls."

The political content on Facebook saw a rise before the Delhi Assembly elections and as per the daily's report the rates saw a rise just before February 7.

"So, for a budget of Rs 100, you were likely to get 110-112 likes in mid-November amounting to 90 paise for a like. Closer to poll date (February 4-6), the price of 'likes' went up to Rs 6.50-7.50. A candidate would only get Rs 12-15 likes for the same Rs 100.

Now, after the polls, prices have dipped again to Rs 3-3.50 per like," Alok Sharma, director of Solutions FaKtory, a firm that was involved in social media promotion of candidates in Delhi assembly and Lok Sabha polls was quoted as saying in the daily.

The parties made full use of Facebook's 'boost post' tool in the last days of Delhi polls and gain an edge over their opponents.

Also, it was a good means for the candidates to connect with the people by spending less amount of money.

Exit polls on Saturday said that a year after its 49-day stint in power ended abruptly, Arvind Kejriwal's AAP was set to return to power in Delhi, after record voting in assembly elections in Delhi.

Half-a-dozen exit polls said the AAP, born in 2012 on the strength of an anti-corruption movement, was likely to get between 31 and a staggering 54 seats in the 70-member assembly, relegating the BJP to the second spot and virtually wiping out the Congress, India's oldest political party.

OneIndia News