Thu Dec 26 13:26:06 UTC 2024: ## BJP Dominates Political Funding Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections

**New Delhi** – The Election Commission of India (ECI) released contribution reports from major political parties revealing a significant disparity in funding for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a staggering Rs 2,604.74 crore in donations, dwarfing the Rs 281.38 crore received by the opposition Indian National Congress (INC).

The BJP’s contributions show a substantial increase compared to the Rs 740 crore declared before the 2019 elections. A significant portion of the BJP’s funding came from electoral trusts, including Rs 723 crore from Prudent Electoral Trust, Rs 127 crore from Triumph Electoral Trust, and Rs 17 lakh from Einzigartig Electoral Trust. The party also benefited significantly from electoral bonds, with large contributions from corporate entities like Vedanta, Bharti Airtel, and the Jindal group. Furthermore, the BJP received Rs 3 crore from Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Santiago Martin, currently under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department.

In contrast, the Congress received over Rs 150 crore from Prudent Electoral Trust, its sole trust donor. The report also highlights multiple small donations of Rs 1.38 lakh each from top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Other national parties also reported contributions, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with Rs 11.06 crore, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) with Rs 7.64 crore, and the National People’s Party (NPP) with Rs 14.85 lakh.

Importantly, the declared figures for both the BJP and Congress exclude donations received through electoral bonds, which are reported separately in annual audit reports. Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd was also a major donor via electoral bonds, contributing significantly to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). The ECI’s release of these reports provides crucial transparency into political financing in India ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

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