BJP garnered 90% of corporate donations received by national parties

New Delhi: Ruling BJP bagged nearly 90% of corporate donations worth Rs 680.49 crore that five national parties together gathered in 2022-23.

An analysis by private election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed the BJP's catch was eight times more than what other parties – Congress, AAP, NPP and CPI(M) – together garnered.

The BJP got Rs 610.49 crore donations from 3,067 business houses while the main opposition party Congress was way behind with Rs 55.62 crore from 70 business enterprises, an ADR analysis of their contribution reports showed.

AAP got Rs 11.26 crore from 69 entities while CPI(M) got Rs 2.08 crore from 104 companies and National People's Party revealed in its contribution report that it received Rs 1.03 crore from eight business houses. BSP said it has not received any corporate donation.

Corporate donations together accounted for 80% of the total donations above Rs 20,000 these parties, barring BSP, received.

Corporate or business houses from Delhi donated Rs 263.06 crore while those from Gujarat gave Rs 134.64 crore to national parties during 2022-23 followed by Maharashtra (Rs 77.53 crore) and Karnataka (Rs 71.29 crore).

Parties are mandated to declare details of all donations, including those from corporates and individuals, above Rs 20,000 it received to the Election Commission.

Altogether, donations above Rs 20,000 received by the national parties accounted for Rs 850.43 crore from 12,167 donors with 84.81% of it being corporate donations.

Of the Rs 2,120.06 crore total donations, including from individuals, it received, the BJP identified Rs 719.85 crore as donation above Rs 20,000 while for the Congress, it was Rs 79.92 crore out of Rs 268.82 crore.

AAP total donations above Rs 20,000 was Rs 37.10 crore while that of NPP was Rs 7.47 crore and CPI(M) Rs 6.07 crore while BSP said it did not receive any donation above Rs 20,000.

The analysis also showed that donations to the tune of Rs 276.20 crore to national parties came from Delhi followed by Rs 160.50 crore from Gujarat and Rs 96.27 crore from Maharashtra.