The BJP has again emerged as the richest national party in the country, according to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI released the annual audits of national parties in India this week. The figures showed that All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) earned marginally more than the Congress becoming the second-richest national party.

According to ECI rules, all regional and national parties must maintain an annual income and expenditure book. The parties must file their tax returns and submit audited financial accounting to the agency as well as upload details to their website to bring transparency to political funding.

Political parties earn their income through a mix of donations and collections as well as through fees and subscriptions from their members. Parties are only able to accept up to Rs 2,000 in cash in donations and most of the donations are to be done in the form of electoral bonds.

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The BJP received Rs 1,917.12 crore during the financial year 2021-22, a figure higher than all the other seven national parties combined. The party's main income source was donations, which amounted to Rs 1,775 crore, including electoral bonds worth Rs 1,033 crore. BJP's income increased from Rs 752.33 crore in 2020-21 to Rs Rs 1,917.12 crore in 2021-22. The BJP has been the highest-earning party each year since 2016-17. In 2015-2016, the saffron party's annual income dipped, when the Congress eclipsed BJP to become the highest-earning party with Rs 593.31 crore. At the time, the BJP's annual income was Rs 570.85 crore.

TMC received Rs 545.74 crore during the same time period, marginally higher than Congress' income of Rs 541.27 crore. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) was the fourth richest in India with an annual income of Rs 162.23 crore. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the National People's Party (NPP) reported incomes of Rs 75.84 crore and Rs 47.25 crore, respectively. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) earned just Rs 43.77 crore and Rs 2.87 crore, making them the two poorest national parties in the country.

(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)

First Published:Jan 20, 2023 2:29 PM IST