It’s the birthday of YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday, and naturally, party leaders, workers, and admirers have been extending warm wishes to him.
Some diehard fans and party leaders went a step further by issuing advertisements in Sakshi—the media house owned by Jagan—which includes its print, electronic, and digital platforms, to convey their birthday greetings. Many have done so to gain the attention of the party president.
However, it appears that Sakshi's marketing team has capitalized on the loyalty of these leaders by significantly inflating advertisement rates for birthday greetings.
For instance, Sakshi television, which typically charges ₹2,500 for a 10-second advertisement, reportedly charged ₹6,000 from party leaders for birthday greetings ads.
For 20 repetitions, this would amount to a hefty ₹1.2 lakh! Similarly, Sakshi newspaper is said to have charged exorbitantly for such advertisements.
The marketing team is reportedly proactive in contacting party leaders, encouraging them to place advertisements for Jagan’s birthday.
They even promise to highlight their pictures prominently, claiming this will help them gain visibility and possibly secure party positions in the future.
Such tactics might make sense if the YSR Congress Party were still in power, as the leaders could hope for some tangible benefits in return.
However, with the party now in opposition, these efforts appear unlikely to yield any significant rewards, raising questions about the real value of these expensive gestures.
