BJP income in FY20 rises 50%, over five times of Congress’s

(This story originally appeared in on Aug 10, 2021)

The BJP’s income in 2019-20, an election year, jumped almost 50% to Rs 3,623 crore from Rs 2,410 crore in 2018-19, while its total expenditure rose by 64% to Rs 1,651 crore from Rs 1,005 crore over the same period.

According to the BJP’s annual audit report for the year 2019-20 put out by the Election Commission on Monday, the ruling party earned Rs 2,555 crore from electoral bonds in 2019-20, a 76% surge over its Rs 1,450 crore income through this route 2018-19. Its total election expenditure in 2019-20, when the general elections were held, stood at Rs 1,352.92 crore, up from Rs 792.37 crore in 2018-19.

Compared to the Congress’s total receipts of Rs 682 crore in 2019-20, the ruling party’s income was almost 5.3 times of it. Its expenditure was 1.6 times of the Congress’s total spend of Rs 998 crore in the same year. Interestingly, the BJP’s income in 2019-20 was more than three times the combined income of national parties, namely, the Congress, Trinamool Congress, NCP, BSP, CPM and CPI.

In sharp contrast to the 50% surge in the BJP’s income between 2018-19 and 2019-20, the Congress’s income had registered a 25% decline to Rs 682 crore from Rs 998 crore in the corresponding period.

Meanwhile, of the total receipts of Rs 3,623 crore declared by the BJP for 2019-20, Rs 2,555 came from electoral bonds. Total contributions received by the ruling party totalled Rs 844 crore, of which Rs 291 crore came from individuals, Rs 238 crore from companies and organisations, Rs 281 crore from institutions and welfare bodies and Rs 33 crore from ‘others’. Aajiwan Sahayog Nidhi donations totalled Rs 23 crore, contributions from morchas were at Rs 5.03 crore and from meetings were at Rs 34 lakh. Applications fees fetched the BJP Rs 28 lakh, delegate fees Rs 1.29 crore and membership fees Rs 20.12 crore.

As part of its election expenditure, the BJP spent over Rs 400 crore on advertisements, almost double of the Rs 229 crore it spent in 2018-19. Spending on electronic media publicity totalled Rs 249 crore and that on print media Rs 47.38 crore, up from Rs 171.26 crore and Rs 20.32 crore respectively. The party also spent Rs 250.49 crore on air travel by its leaders and candidates, up from Rs 20.63 crore in 2018-19. The higher expenses on advertising and air travel may be explained by the fact that 2019-20 was also the Lok Sabha election year.

Financial assistance extended by the party to its candidates was Rs 198.27 crore in 2019-20, up from Rs 60.35 crore the year before.

A study of annual audit reports of other national parties for the year 2019-20 shows the total income of Congress at Rs 682 crore, Trinamool Congress at Rs 143.67 crore, CPM at Rs 158.62 crore, BSP at Rs 58.25 crore, NCP at 85.58 crore and CPI at Rs 6.58 crore. NCP annual audit report was also put out by EC on Monday.

Some regional parties matched the income of their national counterparts like the TRS whose total receipts of 2019-20 was Rs 130.46 crore, YSR Congress Party’s was Rs 92.73 crore, TDP’s was Rs 91.5 crore, BJD’s was Rs 90.35 crore and AIADMK’s was Rs 89 crore.

As far as the expenditure for 2019-20 was concerned, the NCP spent Rs 109.18 crore, Trinamool Rs 107.27 crore, CPM Rs 105.68 crore, BSP Rs 95.05 crore and CPI Rs 6.53 crore.