YouTuber behind Kolkata restaurant beef row, influencers, RJ and actors funded by BJP during Bengal polls
Election Commission expenditure reports reveal that the BJP paid over ₹55 crore to various social media influencers and content creators during the West Bengal assembly elections. The report highlights controversy surrounding influencers who allegedly manufactured political content, including a viral incident involving a restaurant beef row.
Why it matters
The disclosure raises significant questions about the role of paid influencers in political propaganda and the potential for social media content to incite communal disharmony.
As per the expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission, the Bharatiya Janata Party spent ₹286.99 crore on the West Bengal Assembly Elections. With the details of expenditure now in public domain, names of several youtubers have surfaced who have received money from the BJP during the assembly polls. A deeper analysis of the expenditure reveals that a total ₹55.76 crores have been paid to 36 such social media personalities by the BJP’s central unit from New Delhi, between March 15 to May 6. Most of these influencers are well known in social and political circles who produced journalistic content during the run up to the polls.
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