The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent a whopping Rs 1,092 crore – nearly five times more than the Indian National Congress – on election and general propaganda in FY 2022-23, a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed.
The report, released on Wednesday, 28 February, analyses the income and expenditure of the six national political parties. It comes months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, slated to happen in April-May this year.
The report stated that the BJP earned Rs 2,360.844 crore through contributions, donations, electoral bonds and other sources in FY 2022-23. In the same period, the Congress earned Rs 452.37 crore, over five times less than its saffron colleague.
While the BJP recorded an increase of 23.15 percent in its income in FY-23 as compared to the previous financial year, Congress' income decreased by 16.42 percent or it earned Rs 88.90 crore less.
Meanwhile, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nearly doubled its income to Rs 85.17 crore in FY-23. The income of Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) increased 15 times to 7.56 crore.
Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), however, saw its income decrease by a third in FY 23 as compared to FY 22. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) or the CPI(M) too recorded a decrease of 12.68 percent in its annual income.
“BJP has shown the highest income amongst the national parties, an income of Rs 2360.844 crore during FY 2022-23. This forms 76.73% of the total income of 6 national parties during FY 2022-23,” the report observed.
This basically means that in 2022-23, BJP's income was thrice that of all the other national parties put together.
How Much of These Earnings Were Spent and on What?
While the BJP spent nearly half – Rs 1,361.68 crore – of what it earned, primarily on election and general propaganda, the Congress and AAP ended up spending more than what they earned in FY-23.
According to the report, the BJP has nearly Rs 999 crore in unspent income. The CPI(M), BSP and NPP spent 75 percent, 63 percent and 92 percent of their incomes respectively in FY-23.
Primarily, political parties spent their income on propaganda, elections, administrative costs, employees and other expenditures. The BJP spent 80.21 percent of its expenditure – Rs 1,092.15 crore – on general and election propaganda. AAP and NPP too spent 93.26 percent and 95.54 percent of their total declared expenditure on propaganda and election expenditure.
In direct contrast were Congress and CPI(M) that spent 50.49 percent (or Rs 235.84 crore) and 52.42 percent (or Rs 55.59 crore) respectively of their total expenditure on administrative spends. While Congress spent nearly 40 percent of its expenditure on elections, CPI(M) spent only 5.42 percent and BSP spent 11.37 percent on elections, keeping aside 88 percent of its total declared expenditure for administrative purposes.
Where Do the Political Parties Get the Money from?
About 89.8 percent (or Rs 2,120.06 crore) of BJP’s total declared income for FY 23 came from donations and contributions, the ADR report stated. During the same period, Congress earned nearly 59.4 percent (or Rs 268.62 crore) of its income from grants and 27.8 percent (or Rs 125.76 crore) from issuing coupons.
Meanwhile, AAP and NPP have declared that over 99 percent of their income is from grants, donations and contributions. BSP, however, received its maximum share (51.41 percent) from bank interest followed by fees and subscriptions (46.91 percent).
The report also stated that in FY 23, three national parties – BJP, Congress and AAP – collected 49.09 percent (or Rs 1,510.62 crore) of their total income from donations through electoral bonds.
Of the BJP’s total declared income for FY 23, 54.82 percent (or Rs 1,294.15 crore) came from electoral bonds while 34.98 percent (or Rs 825.91 crore) came from other donations and contributions.
AAP too, received a little over half (53.36 percent or Rs 45.45 crore) of its total income from electoral bonds. Congress, meanwhile, received over one-third its total declared income or Rs 171.02 crore from the same source.
However, CPI(M), BSP and NPP did not receive any funds from electoral bonds.
“Given the anonymity provided to donors by the scheme, it was seen that Electoral Bonds emerged as the most popular mode of donations to National Political parties for FY 2021-22 as well,” the report observed.
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