The 3D holographic campaign, a novelty in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and a critical component of Modi's hi-tech campaign enabling him to address more than 700 virtual rallies, cost BJP over Rs 60 crore. The licence fee alone for two months during the campaign accounted for Rs 10 crore. The poll expenditure details, submitted by BJP to the Election Commission, reveal that the 3D virtual rallies Modi addressed between March and May had cost the party Rs 51.35 crore, besides the licence fees. Besides the virtual rallies, Modi also addressed 450-odd rallies in the run-up to the parliamentary elections. This was, however, not the first time Modi had used the latest technology to reach out to his constituents. During the 2012 Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP stalwart had created a Guinness world record when his holographic 3D speech was simultaneously broadcast from 53 locations across more than 25 cities in the state. Meticulously planned and executed, all holographic speeches were recorded by Modi at his residence in Gujarat where he returned every night after a string of rallies through the day in different parts of the country. In addition to the expenditure on 3D campaign, BJP spent about Rs 487 crore in propaganda activities which included Rs 304 crore on advertisements in print, electronic, cable and news portals besides bulk SMSs.
