40 regional parties report 2,532 crore revenue in FY23-24: ADR

Around 40 regional political parties reported a combined income of ₹2,532.09 crore in the 2023-24 financial year, with over 70% of their funds coming from electoral bonds, according to an analysis by Poll Rights Body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) reported the highest income at 685.51 crore, followed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with ₹646.39 crore, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with 2977.81 crore, the Telugu Congress (TDP) with ₹285.07 crore, and Ysr Congress (TDP) with ₹285.07 crore, and Ysr Congress (TDP) with ₹285.07 crore, and Ysr Congress (TDP) with ₹285.07 crore.

These top five parties accounted for 83.17% of the total income reported by the 40 regional parties.

“The total income of the 40 regional political parties for the financial year 2023-24 was ₹2,532.096 crore. More than 70% of the total income (1,796.024 crore) of the 40 regional political parties analyzed for the financial year 2023-24 came from donations through electoral bond,” the report said.

The ADR said audit reports of 20 regional parties were not available on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website even 313 days after the last date of submission.

The audit reports of 20 parties out of the 40 analyzed by ADR were available on the ECI website after a delay of 12 to 216 days from the due date for submission.

The ADR noted that the overall income of the regional parties increased sharply by 45.77 per cent, compared to the financial year 2022-23, when their total income stood at `1,736.85 crore. TMC recorded the highest increase of ₹312.93 crore, while TDP and BJD also saw significant jumps.

The report said 27 regional parties reported that part of their income was unspent while the expenditure of 12 political parties exceeded the income received during the year.

BRS had ₹430.60 crore from its unspent income, TMC 414.92 crore and BJD 253.79 crore.

In contrast, 12 parties, including the YSR Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (United), spent more than their income, with the YSR Congress overspending by almost 55%. The Goa forward side did not declare any income but reported expenses of `1.56 lakh.

Of the total income, 2,117.85 crore (83.64%) came from voluntary contributions. In this, donations through electoral bonds accounted for 1,796.02 crore (70.93%), declared by only 10 parties, including BRS, TMC, BJD, TDP, YSR Congress and DMK.

In comparison, ₹321.82 crore was raised through other donations and contributions, while interest income accounted for ₹274.90 crore (10.86%).

As per data shared by State Bank of India in response to ADR’s RTI application, electoral bonds worth 4,507.56 crore were redeemed by parties during the financial year 2023-24. Around 55.998% (₹2,524.14 crore) was taken over by national parties and 39.84% (₹1,796.02 crore) by regional parties.

In the financial year 2023-24, only three national parties (BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi) received donations through electoral bonds, the report said.

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