BJP Reports Record Donations Exceeding All Other National Parties

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has received a staggering ₹6,074.015 crore from 5,522 donations during the financial year 2024-25, according to a recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). This amount is over ten times greater than the total declared by the other national parties combined.

The report, which focuses on contributions exceeding ₹20,000, highlights that the total donations declared by all national parties reached ₹6,648.563 crore from 11,343 donations. This marks a significant increase of 161% compared to the ₹2,543.375 crore reported in the previous financial year, 2023-24.

Following the BJP, the Indian National Congress reported donations of ₹517.394 crore from 2,501 contributions, showcasing an 84% increase from ₹281.48 crore in the previous year. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also experienced a substantial increase in donations, sufficient to rise to ₹38.1 crore, representing a remarkable 244% growth.

The analysis indicates a continuing trend of corporate funding, with over 92% of donations estimated to come from corporate and business sectors. More specifically, ₹6,128.787 crore can be attributed to these sources, while individual contributions amounted to ₹505.66 crore, accounting for approximately 7.61% of total donations.

The report notes that the Prudent Electoral Trust emerged as the largest donor, contributing a total of ₹2,413.465 crore to the BJP, Congress, and AAP combined. Of this, INR 2,180.7119 crore went directly to the BJP, equating to about 35.9% of the party's total funding for the year.

Additionally, the funding received by the BJP reflects a considerable increase of 171% compared to the ₹2,243.947 crore recorded in the financial year 2023-24. This surge in funding occurs against a backdrop where the Electoral Bond scheme, which allowed for anonymous donations, was recently invalidated by the Supreme Court of India.

In terms of geographical distribution, donations also vary state-wise, with Delhi contributing the largest share at ₹2,639.481 crore, followed by Maharashtra at ₹2,438.86 crore. Gujarat contributed ₹309.177 crore during the said fiscal year.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), however, reported no donations exceeding ₹20,000, maintaining its record for the last 19 years, while other national parties including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the National People's Party (NPEP) also provided their funding declarations.

These figures underscore the evolving landscape of political financing in India, with increasing reliance on corporate contributions raising discussions about transparency and accountability in electoral funding. The report by ADR emphasizes the importance of ongoing monitoring to ensure fair practices in political donations as the country prepares for future elections.