From 2014 to 2020, India’s political consultancy industry surged from around Rs 300 crore to Rs 3,000 crore. Around 500 active consultancies employ nearly 10,000 individuals
By P Devendra
The coming ten months in the Indian political arena are laden with profound significance as the nation gears up for two pivotal election festivals. As we approach the conclusion of 2023, the spotlight is on five key States — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram — where Assembly elections are set to unfold.
Widely regarded as the semi-finals to the impending Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 2024, these State elections serve as a crucial testing ground for political strategies and dynamics. While political parties are already in the midst of strategic preparations and game plan formations, an intriguing new participant is poised to take centre stage: the political consultants.
Strategists of Influence
Political consultants, comprising individuals or groups, play a significant role by offering an array of election strategies and services to political parties and electoral contestants in exchange for substantial remuneration. These services span from comprehensive campaign management to adeptly navigating the realm of social media. The infusion of technological expertise and communication proficiency by these consultants has piqued the interest of political entities, who seek to effectively engage the public and disseminate their ideologies and messages.
The origins of the alliance between political parties and consultants can be traced back to the late 1930s in the United States. However, their prevalence and influence have been slower to take hold in both developed and developing nations. Notably, the recent surge of political consultancies within Indian politics can be attributed, in part, to the widespread penetration of the internet and other communication technologies. The surge in the usage of social media platforms and the internet has led to a surge in political propaganda and targeted campaigns, providing fertile ground for political consultancies to employ strategic tactics to sway and capture vote banks.
While India’s initial integration of technology and management in elections began in the 1990s through endeavours like Rajiv Gandhi’s ‘Computer Boys team’ in the Congress, the transformative watershed arrived with renowned political strategist Prashant Kishor. His Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) marked a turning point, shaping political strategies and campaign management. Kishor’s innovative tactics during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, leveraging social media and holographic projections, opened the floodgates for the burgeoning political consultancy industry. These strategies amplified the buzz surrounding Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial candidacy, cementing the role of political consultancy in shaping electoral dynamics.
Behind the Curtain
At the core, a team of adept political consultants engages in meticulous data aggregation via comprehensive surveys to decipher public sentiment. This process spans from understanding voting preferences to gauging social strata such as caste, religion and demographics. These insights underpin data-driven conclusions that shape campaign strategies, impactful public gatherings and the intricate management of social media. The strategists closely shadow and extend their guidance to the top leadership during public rendezvous, campaign endeavours, and the delicate choreography of forging coalitions. They also guide party members on ideals, manifestos and ethos. These activities span from shrewdly crafted social media posts to the meticulous orchestration of fund distribution, and even the dispensing of resources like money and alcohol.
While their counterparts in developed nations often play a pivotal role in fundraising endeavours and facilitating symbiotic alliances between politicians and corporate entities, this particular trend assumes a distinct cadence within the contours of the Indian political landscape. The indigenous characteristics of India’s political environment manifest in the divergence from this pattern. Nonetheless, political consultants extend their expertise to both individual candidates and political parties, with the magnitude of services rendered often inextricably intertwined with financial considerations.
While political parties find the allure of this readymade ‘consultancy services’ convenient and advantageous, the seamless integration of these services into the political landscape also introduces a myriad of potential threats to the very core of democracy and the integrity of fair elections within the country.
Navigating the Risks
Firstly, the growing influence of political consultants in party politics is inexorably linked to increasing money power in politics. The hazardous trend of consultancy bridge between the public and politicians gravely endangers the ethos of representative democracy.
Secondly, a growing inclination towards consultancy services, particularly pronounced among newly formed and single-leader-centric parties, poses a significant concern. The rush towards consultants, driven by the thirst for victory, often stems from an underdeveloped institutional setup and overreliance on individual leaders’ popularity rather than the party’s foundational strength. This might yield short-term gains but ultimately imperils internal democracy and engenders the de-institutionalisation of political parties. Even within venerable parties like the Congress, resistance has arisen against the encroachment of consultant strategies that overshadow the ideas nurtured by experienced and longstanding party members.
A third concern emanates from the audacious manipulation of data and the engagement in unethical practices by certain consultancies. Such actions not only dilute the rights of an informed citizenry but also constitute a direct threat to the integrity of free and fair elections.
Moreover, the booming consultancy industry intensifies the potential for ‘quid pro quo’ arrangements between private entities and public officeholders. It was unofficially reported that the leading political consultancy firm IPAC charges around Rs 700 crore for its services.
The official statement of the YSR Congress Party stated that it paid Rs 37 crore to IPAC as consultancy fee in 2019. The opacity surrounding contributions to political parties, particularly after the introduction of electoral bonds, raises pertinent questions about the infiltration of ‘external players’ into the Indian political landscape. Additionally, the potential entry of international political consultancies poses a looming threat. While this trend has yet to fully materialise, the considerable market potential and the presence of major political parties create an enticing environment for multinational companies. This could potentially contaminate the political atmosphere, introducing foreign interests that may redirect funds, engage in lobbying and even conduct mass surveillance.
Lastly, the technical expertise of consultants in targeted messaging using social media and other platforms can exacerbate the growth of polarisation and identity politics. An illustrative example is the ‘Bihari versus Bahar’ campaign executed by IPAC during the 2015 Bihar elections. Although beneficial to the IPAC-affiliated Janata Dal (Secular), the fallout of the campaign led to severe social unrest. The enigmatic role and operational tactics of political consultancies extend beyond their opacity, presenting multifaceted risks to cherished democratic values. This underscores the pressing need for comprehensive regulation and robust controls to safeguard the hard-won achievements of our democratic evolution.
Prudent Path
Unlike its American counterpart, India lacks a self-regulatory body for political consultants. Though nascent efforts are under way, the need for such an institution is evident. The absence of defined legislation and guidelines to govern political consultancy roles compounds the issue. The undisclosed nature of agreements between parties and consultancies, spanning services and costs, poses a challenge.
Urgent measures are required to compel disclosure of financial sources linked to consultancy services. From 2014 to 2020, India’s political consultancy industry surged from Rs 250-300 crore to Rs 3,000 crore. Around 500 active consultancies employ nearly 10,000 individuals. As political consultancies’ influence permeates various election spheres — local body, cooperative, student body elections — addressing their impact is vital.
With this ascent, the undeniable ability of political consultancies to shape outcomes cannot be overlooked. They will influence every level of politics. Recognising this, a vigilant state mechanism with transparent regulatory frameworks and an informed public is needed. These safeguards are pivotal for navigating these new political players, ensuring their positive contribution to the Indian political arena.