Tue Feb 25 17:21:12 UTC 2025: ## BJP’s Massive Election Spending Dominates National Party Finance Report
**New Delhi, February 25, 2025** – A new report from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reveals the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent a staggering ₹1,754 crore on election and general propaganda in 2023-24, significantly outpacing other national parties. The report, analyzing audited accounts submitted to the Election Commission, details the income and expenditure of six national parties.
The Congress Party followed with election-related expenses totaling ₹619.67 crore. While the BJP allocated ₹349.71 crore to administrative costs, the Congress spent ₹340.70 crore on similar expenses. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) reported the highest administrative and general expenses at ₹56.29 crore.
The six national parties – BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI(M), Aam Aadmi Party, and National People’s Party – declared a combined income of ₹2,669.86 crore from donations. A significant portion of this income (43.36%, or ₹2,524.13 crore) came from now-defunct electoral bonds, with the BJP receiving the largest share (₹1,685.62 crore), followed by the Congress (₹828.36 crore) and the AAP (₹10.15 crore).
The report also highlights the delays in submission of audited accounts. While the BSP, NPP, and AAP submitted on time, the CPI(M), Congress, and BJP were late by 12, 53, and 66 days respectively. The findings raise questions about political financing and transparency in India’s electoral process.
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