With Rs 4,300 crore, BJP hogged 75% of total income of six national parties in 2023-24: ADR report

While the BJP declared an income of Rs 4,340.47 crore, the Congress was a distant second with an income of Rs 1,225.11 crore.

New Delhi: BJP declared an income of Rs 4,340.47 crore in 2023-24, a growth of 83.85 per cent from the previous fiscal, and accounting for nearly 75 per cent of total income of six national parties pegged at Rs 5,820.91 crore, a report by Association for Democratic Rights (ADR) said on Monday.

The Congress was a distant second with an income of Rs 1,225.11 crore in the previous fiscal, up by Rs 772.74 crore or 170.82 per cent from 2022-23. CPI(M) declared an income of Rs 167.63 crore, followed by BSP at Rs 64.77 crore, AAP at Rs 22.68 crore and NPP at Rs 22.44 lakh.

Voluntary contributions were the main contributor to all the six national parties with BJP getting Rs 3,967.14 crore, Congress Rs 11,129.66 crore, CPI(M) Rs 74.86 crore, AAP Rs 22.13 crore and NPP Rs 17.69 lakh through this mode.

Of this, BJP got Rs 1,685.62 crore or 38.84 per cent of their total income through electoral bonds while Congress got Rs 828.36 crore (67.61 per cent). AAP declared Rs 10.15 crore through electoral bonds and electoral trusts. CPI(M), BSP and NPP did not receive any contributions through the now-defunct bond route.

Another major income source for BJP was interest on deposits at Rs 369.03 crore while Congress collected Rs 58.55 crore through issuing coupons. CPI(M)’s Rs 49.08 crore came through party levy and subscription. BSP’s major source of income was bank interest at Rs 38.18 crore.

While the BJP, Congress and CPI(M) saw an increase in their income, AAP, NPP and BSP also recorded a dip in their income compared to 2022-23.

The ADR analysis showed that AAP and Conrad Sangma-led NPP spent more than their income in the fiscal – AAP spent Rs 34.09 crore or 50.34 per cent more than its income and NPP Rs 1.13 crore or 407.58 per cent while the other four parties kept their expenditure under check.

BJP’s expenditure at Rs 2,211.69 crore or 50.96 per cent of their total income while Congress spent 83.69 per cent or Rs 1,025.24 crore out of Rs 1,225.11 crore. CPI(M) spent Rs 127.28 crore (75.93 per cent) and BSP Rs 43.18 crore or 66.67 per cent.

The maximum expenditure for BJP has been towards election/general propaganda at Rs 1754.06 crore followed by expenses towards administrative costs at Rs 349.71 crore.

The maximum expenditure for Congress was also towards election expenditure at Rs 619.67 crore, followed by spending towards administrative and general expenses at Rs 340.70 crore. CPI(M) spent the maximum of Rs 56.29 crore on administrative and general expenses followed by expenditure of Rs 47.57 crore on employee cost, the ADR report said.