BJP income jumps 81 per cent to Rs 1,034 crore in FY 2016-17

Mail Today Bureau        Last Updated: April 11, 2018  | 08:33 IST
BJP income jumps 81 per cent to Rs 1,034 crore in FY 2016-17

Two years after coming to power, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's income grew exponentially by 81.18 per cent from Rs 570.86 crore, during financial year 2015-16, to Rs 1,034.27 crore in 2016-17, according to a report by the Association of Democratic Reforms, a watchdog of political parties.

In the same period, the Congress party's income fell by 14 per cent (Rs 36.20 crore), from Rs 261.56 crore to Rs 225.36 crore. Out of this income, both the national parties spent the maximum share on elections, general propaganda, followed by administrative expenses.

"The maximum expenditure for BJP during 2016-17 was towards election and general propaganda which amounted to Rs 606.64 crore followed by expenses towards administrative costs at Rs 69.78 crore. The Congress spent the maximum of Rs 149.65 crore on election expenditure followed by expenditure of Rs 115.65 crore on administrative and general expenses," the report stated.

With the massive increase in its income, the BJP, during 2015-16 had the highest income among all the national parties. The party had declared a total income of Rs 570.86 crore, but according to the ADR report released on Tuesday, it is yet to submit its copy of income tax returns for the fiscal year 2016-17 to the Election Commission of India.

"The income of Congress was second highest during 2015-16 at Rs 261.56 crore, but the party is yet to submit a copy of its I-T returns with the ECI for 2016-17." The Nationalist Congress Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party saw sizeable increase in their incomes, while the Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) witnessed a decline.

"Between 2015-16 and 2016-17, the income of BSP increased by 266.32 per cent (Rs 126.195 crore) from Rs 47.385 crore, during 2015-16, to Rs 173.58 crore during 2016-17, while the income of the Nationalist Congress Party increased by 88.63 per cent (Rs 8.098 crore) from Rs 9.137 crore during 2015-16 to Rs 17.235 crore during 2016-17."

"It is to be noted that between 2015-16 and 2016-17, the income of All India Trinamool Congress decreased by 81.52 per cent (Rs 28.188 crore) from Rs 34.578 crore during 2015-16 to Rs 6.39 crore during 2016-17, while the income of the CPI(M) decreased by 6.72 per cent (Rs 7.224 crore) from Rs 107.48 crore during 2015-16 to Rs 100.256 crore during 2016-17."

Five parties - BSP, NCP, CPM, CPI and AITC - declared a total income of Rs 299.54 crore collected from all over India. Of these, the BSP showed the highest income with a total of Rs 173.58 crore during 2016-17, but spent only 30 per cent (Rs 51.83 crore) of the total income. The CPI(M) declared the second highest income of Rs 100.256 crore, which forms 33.47 per cent of the total income of these five parties.

The CPI declared the least income of Rs 2.079 crore. The Trinamool Congress declared a total income of Rs 6.39 crore in 2016-17, but spent an excess of Rs 17.87 crore (280 per cent) over that. The NCP also incurred an excess expenditure of Rs 7.732 crore over its total income of Rs 17.235 crore during 2016-17.

The national parties have declared donations and contributions as one of their three main sources of income. On the rise in the BJP's income, Union minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told INDIA TODAY TV, "Our party has 11 crore members and workers and has expanded. We believe in transparency and provide details of all political donations to not only the Election Commission, but the income tax department too."

When asked about the decline in Congress's income, Naqvi sarcastically said, "Congress is the grand old party and their funds are grand old too. I don't want to comment on it."