It also means a significant rise in election spending, making it the costliest poll on earth. “So far, we have armored 30 to 35 vehicles during this election and it’s a good number.’’The transformation could cost anywhere between 600,000 rupees ($8,650) to 4 million rupees. “It takes two-to-three months to armor and customize a vehicle,’’ Sobti said.Saints Art, a strategic consultancy firm, also has its hands full. The company creates profiles, handles politicians’ social media accounts, writes speeches and grooms candidates on the importance of making eye contact, said Sudhanshu Rai, founder and chief strategist at communication firm Saints Art. "In terms of volumes, the advertisement business is around 25 billion rupees for this year’s election.

Source: Economic Times May 07, 2019 04:18 UTC