New Delhi: Regional political parties together disclosed earnings of Rs 2,532.09 crore in 2023–24, a steep rise from the previous year, with more than two-thirds of their declared funds linked to electoral bonds, a new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has shown.
According to the analysis, five parties dominated the financial charts. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led with Rs 685.51 crore, followed closely by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) at Rs 646.39 crore. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) reported Rs 297.81 crore, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Rs 285.07 crore and the YSR Congress Rs 191.04 crore. Together, these parties accounted for more than four-fifths of the combined income of all 40 regional outfits.
“The total income of the 40 regional parties for FY 2023–24 was Rs 2,532.096 crore. More than 70 per cent of this came from donations through electoral bonds,” the ADR report stated.
While incomes surged by 45.77 per cent compared with Rs 1,736.85 crore in 2022–23, compliance with disclosure timelines remained inconsistent. Audit reports of half the parties were still missing from the Election Commission of India’s website even after 313 days past the deadline. The other half filed late, with delays ranging between 12 and 216 days.
The TMC posted the largest year-on-year jump of Rs 312.93 crore. Significant gains were also seen in the TDP and BJD accounts.
On expenditure, the report revealed contrasting trends. Twenty-seven parties ended the year with surpluses, while 12 overspent their collections. The BRS left Rs 430.60 crore unused, the TMC Rs 414.92 crore and the BJD Rs 253.79 crore.
By contrast, the YSR Congress spent nearly 55 per cent more than its income. Deficits were also noted for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (United). The Goa Forward Party declared no income but listed Rs 1.56 lakh in expenses.
A closer look at funding sources showed that voluntary contributions formed the backbone, totalling Rs 2,117.85 crore or 83.64 per cent of all income. Of this, electoral bonds accounted for Rs 1,796.02 crore, representing 70.93 per cent of the total. Just 10 parties, including the BRS, TMC, BJD, TDP, YSR Congress and DMK, reported receiving such funds. Additional donations contributed Rs 321.82 crore, while interest on deposits brought in Rs 274.90 crore.
Figures obtained by ADR under the Right to Information Act revealed that electoral bonds worth Rs 4,507.56 crore were redeemed across parties in FY24. Of this, national parties accounted for Rs 2,524.14 crore (55.99 per cent) and regional parties for Rs 1,796.02 crore (39.84 per cent). Only three national parties—the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party—reported receiving bond-linked donations during the period.with agency inputs