BJP received Rs 2,444 crore in donations in FY 2023-24, Congress secures Rs 289 crore: Report
By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Dec 26, 2024, 9:45 AM ISTThe BJP received Rs 2,444 crore in donations in 2023-24, over three times its previous year’s amount, while Congress secured Rs 289 crore. Prudent Electoral Trust emerged as a major donor for both parties. Electoral bond contributions were excluded from these figures.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured approximately Rs 2,444 crore in donations of Rs 20,000 and above from individuals, trusts, and corporate entities during the financial year 2023-24, according to data from contribution reports available on the Election Commission's website. This figure represents a more than threefold increase compared to its contributions in 2022-23.
In comparison, the Indian National Congress received Rs 288.9 crore through similar contributions in 2023-24, a significant rise from Rs 79.9 crore in the previous year.
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Prudent Electoral Trust emerged as the largest donor for both BJP and Congress. The trust contributed Rs 723.6 crore to the BJP, accounting for nearly one-third of the party’s total donations, and Rs 156.4 crore to Congress, representing more than half of its donations.
Prudent Electoral Trust's prominent donors in 2022-23 included major entities like Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd, Serum Institute, Arcelor Mittal Group, and Bharti Airtel.
The donation figures declared by the BJP and Congress exclude funds received through electoral bonds. Political parties are only required to disclose these details in their annual audit reports, not in contribution reports. However, the Supreme Court struck down the electoral bond scheme in February 2024, leaving direct contributions and those via electoral trusts as the primary funding sources for political parties, according to a TOI report.
Some regional parties voluntarily disclosed their receipts from electoral bonds in their 2023-24 reports. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received Rs 495.5 crore through bonds, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) got Rs 60 crore, and YSR Congress declared Rs 121.5 crore. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) reported Rs 11.5 crore from bonds, though its other contributions amounted to just Rs 64 lakh.
BJP's total contributions in 2023-24 surged by 212% compared to the previous year. Such spikes are common in the lead-up to general elections. For instance, in 2018-19, the year before the 2019 general elections, the JP reported donations worth Rs 742 crore, while the Congress declared Rs 146.8 crore in contributions.
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BJP received Rs 850 crore through electoral trusts, with Rs 723 crore from Prudent, Rs 127 crore from Triumph Electoral Trust, and Rs 17.2 lakh from Einzigartig Electoral Trust. Congress, on the other hand, received Rs 156 crore through Prudent Electoral Trust, its sole donor in this category.
Prudent Electoral Trust extended its support to multiple parties, contributing Rs 85 crore to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Rs 62.5 crore to YSR Congress, and Rs 33 crore to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which currently governs Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) received Rs 8 crore in donations from Triumph Electoral Trust and Jayabharath Trust.
Interestingly, BJP declared receiving Rs 3 crore from Future Gaming and Hotel Services, a company owned by Santiago Martin, popularly known as the "Lottery King" of India. Martin, under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and income tax authorities for alleged money laundering, was also a major donor through electoral bonds, with Trinamool Congress as the top beneficiary.
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Among other national parties, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reported contributions worth Rs 11.1 crore in 2023-24, a decline from Rs 37.1 crore in the previous year. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) saw an increase in its donations to Rs 7.6 crore, up from Rs 6.1 crore. The National People's Party (NPP), which governs Meghalaya, declared Rs 14.8 lakh in contributions. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) reported nil contributions above Rs 20,000 for the year.
Regional party Telugu Desam Party (TDP) declared over Rs 100 crore in contributions, Samajwadi Party reported Rs 46.7 lakh, and BJD again declared nil donations for the financial year 2023-24.
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