New Delhi: In the fiscal year 2022-23, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amassed a staggering ₹1300 crore through electoral bonds, a stark contrast to the Congress party’s comparatively modest ₹186 crore from the same avenue during the same period.
The BJP’s financial statement submitted to the Election Commission revealed a significant surge in contributions, totaling ₹2120 crore in 2022-23, marking a substantial increase from the previous fiscal year’s ₹1775 crore. Notably, electoral bonds accounted for 61% of the BJP’s funding.
Conversely, the Congress party witnessed a decline in electoral bond proceeds, securing only ₹171 crore in 2022-23 compared to ₹236 crore in the preceding fiscal year.
The Samajwadi Party, classified as a recognized state-level party, reported a notable shift in its electoral bond revenue, with ₹3.2 crore in 2021-22 and no contributions recorded in 2022-23. Similarly, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), another state-recognized entity, experienced a substantial tenfold increase in electoral bond income, soaring to ₹34 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
In addition to electoral bonds, the BJP saw a rise in interest earnings, reaching ₹237 crore in 2022-23 from ₹135 crore in the previous year. The party’s expenditure on election and general propaganda reflected a decrease in spending on aircraft and helicopters, dropping to ₹78.2 crore from ₹117.4 crore in 2021-22.
Furthermore, financial assistance provided to candidates by the BJP decreased to ₹76.5 crore in 2022-23 from ₹146.4 crore in the previous fiscal year, categorized under the heading ‘total payments’ in the party’s financial disclosures.
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