ADR report on political funding: BJP leads the pack, regional parties follow suit

Though not a match for the saffron juggernaut, regional parties do not lag behind the BJP, in receiving political donations from anonymous sources. A recent report of the Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR) for FY2019-20 suggests the top 10 regional parties had the lion's share of the total ₹ 803/24 Cr received by 25 regional parties. In the same period, the BJP had received Rs 2,642.63 crore from unidentified sources.

Chennai: Even as the campaign for transparency in political funding is getting louder, political donations from 'unknown sources' have increased manifold with the regional parties too following the BJP in filling up their kitty. While the saffron party remains head and shoulders ahead of others, regional parties come a distant third or fourth, according to a report by ADR. What is of significance is that in this category of unknown sources, neither the donor nor the political party needs to disclose the identity.

Indicative of the financial muscle of the BJP, in the financial year 2019-20, the party has received a whopping Rs Rs 2,642.63 crore from unidentified sources while the total income of 25 regional parties put together stood at Rs 803.24 crore, of which Rs 445.774 crore (55.50%) was from unknown sources. Among the regional parties, the TRS, TDP, YSR-CP and DMK, are ranked top ten in receiving from unknown sources. The known sources of income are donations below or above Rs 20,000 with donor details, membership fee, sale of publication, bank interest among others. The unknown sources are primarily donations through electoral bonds, coupons and voluntary contributions.

The total income and receipts from unknown sources of the political parties as calculated by ADR are culled out from the Income Tax Returns and reports filed before the Election Commission of India (ECI). Given below is the total income and funding from unknown sources (in bracket) of the dominant regional parties: TRS – Rs 130.46 cr (89.158 cr), TDP – Rs 91.53 cr (Rs 81.694 cr), YSRCP – Rs 92.739 cr (Rs 74.75 cr), BJD Rs 90.35 cr (Rs 50.586 cr) and DMK – Rs 64.904 cr (Rs 45.50 cr).

The AIADMK which is in opposition now after being in power for two terms has a total income of Rs 89.606 cr of which only Rs 6.075 cr from unknown sources.

As revealed by the report, seven national parties have received from identified Rs 4758.24 cr. However, the BJP's income is 3.5 times more than that of funding from unknown sources declared by six national parties, including Congress ( Rs 734.78 cr). The other national parties are the BSP, Trinamool Congress, NCP, CPI and CPI(M).