The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the frontrunner for the financial year 2023-24, with declared earnings amounting to Rs 4,340.47 crore, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). BJP alone makes up to 74.57% of the combined income of six national political parties during the fiscal year, a feat hardly achieved by any.
The ADR report shows the BJP’s expenditure stood at Rs 2,211.69 crore—just 50.96% of its total earnings. The Congress came in second, declaring an income of Rs 1,225.12 crore, out of which Rs 1,025.25 crore was spent, marking 83.69% of its revenue.
A large portion of these earnings came from donations through electoral bonds. The BJP led this segment as well, receiving Rs 1,685.63 crore, while Congress got Rs 828.36 crore, and AAP collected Rs 10.15 crore.
Data obtained through an RTI request revealed that political parties collectively redeemed bonds worth Rs 4,507.56 crore during FY 2023-24. National parties accounted for Rs 2,524.13 crore of this sum, which makes up 55.99% of the total bond redemptions.
BJP however has claimed it status as the biggest political party in the world and sees this expenses as a meagre sum to maintain its largest voting machinery.
The ADR report however suggests that the influence of big donations remains significant in Indian politics, raising concerns about the need for more transparent funding practices.
