With March 5 elections on the horizon, Nepal’s politicians are wagering heavily on social media ads, fueling a spending spree across major platforms. Facebook tops the list, but Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, and Messenger are also cash cows for campaigners seeking viral impact.
Kathmandu Post reports reveal Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s dominance in ad spends from October 20 to January 11. The party’s post-merger push with Ujyalo Nepal involved a network of pages, from headquarters to district outposts, driving home its message relentlessly.
Dynamic Democratic Party matched the intensity, with its lead page posting 39 sponsored updates in three months and affiliates joining the fray. This multi-pronged digital assault aims to embed party narratives in everyday scrolls.
RPP Chairman Rajesh Portel, a Gen-Z movement veteran who lost a limb in activism, directed $1,199 through the official page. Local units added heft: $240 from Okhaldhunga, $427 from Gen-Z United, $100 from Panchthar—totaling $2,360. Analysts warn this opacity in digital spending undermines electoral fairness.
Tech commentator Dowan notes the platforms’ power to broaden reach affordably, yet flags pervasive ethical lapses in ad practices. The data exposes a high-stakes game where money buys influence in voters’ feeds.
Second-placed DDP expended $1,116 on 39 ads, courtesy of Buddha Air magnate Birendra Basnet’s savvy page management. Ujyalo’s Gurung, eyeing a repeat in Kathmandu-5, allocated $489 to 11 ads after a prior $5,968 haul that earned 2,761 votes.
Non-political pages like ‘Citizens for Voting Nepal’ invested $417 in voter registration guidance. Nepali Congress contender Sunil Sharma from Morang-3 spent $289 on three, while ‘RSP Coverage Yugesh’ funneled $230 into select candidate boosts. Ads for heavyweights Jhalanath Khanal and Rajendra Lingden further crowd the space.
Nepal’s digital electioneering boom demands urgent oversight. As parties chase likes and shares, the real prize—trust in the democratic process—hangs in the balance, urging policymakers to mandate real-time spending disclosures.