Election Commission Report: BJP and Congress Donations Surge in 2023-24
According to the recent audit report released by India's Election Commission (ECI) for 2023-24, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw a remarkable 87% increase in donations, amounting to ₹3,976.14 crore during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand, the opposition Congress party experienced a staggering 320% increase in donations, which rose to ₹1,129.99 crore compared to the previous year.
During the same period, BJP's contribution from electoral bonds accounted for less than half, decreasing to 43% of the total donations, while Congress's donations from electoral bonds made up 73% of their total contribution. Congress's electoral bond donations rose from ₹171.02 crore in 2023 to ₹828.36 crore in 2024.
BJP's Donations and Election Expenses in 2024
The audit report revealed that BJP received ₹1,685.62 crore from electoral bonds in 2024. In comparison, in 2022-2023, the party received ₹1,294.14 crore from electoral bonds, which accounted for 61% of their total donations.
BJP also saw a significant rise in election expenses, which increased to ₹1,754.06 crore in 2023-2024, compared to ₹1,092.15 crore in 2022-2023. Of this, ₹591.39 crore was allocated for advertisements and publicity, largely attributed to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress's Donations and Election Expenses in 2024
Congress experienced a remarkable 320% increase in donations during 2023-2024. Donations rose from ₹268.62 crore in 2022-2023 to ₹1,129.66 crore in 2023-2024.
The electoral bond component of Congress’s donations accounted for 73%, rising from ₹171.02 crore in 2023 to ₹828.36 crore in 2024. Additionally, Congress's election expenses saw a sharp increase, growing from ₹192.55 crore in 2022-2023 to ₹619.67 crore in 2023-2024. The report indicates that Congress experienced a higher percentage growth in donations compared to BJP during the election year.
TMC's Financial Growth in 2023-2024
According to the annual audit report of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for 2023-2024, Mamata Banerjee's party saw significant growth in income, increasing from ₹333.46 crore in the previous year to ₹646.39 crore. Notably, nearly 95% of this income came from electoral bonds.
