India, Dec. 24 -- Politics, especially electoral ones, is akin to corporate and marketing battlefields. Political parties are like products and brands of firms that use brains, money, ideas, and sales strategies to woo consumers, gain market shares, and earn customers' loyalty. Market share is obviously a crucial element. The higher it is, the more dominant the position in the marketplace. It is not too different from the demands in politics. Change the phrase, market share, to vote share. During elections, marketing, positioning, USPs, and promotions matter.

However, at the end of the day, these require money. Lots of it, and regularly over sustained periods. If you have a bag full, or rather sack full, or maybe warehouses full of notes...