BJP received ₹6,088 crore in donations in 2024-25, nearly 12 times more than Congress

The Hindu
The Hindu
3h ago
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BJP's 2024-25 donations surged to ₹6,088 crore, 12 times Congress's ₹522.13 crore, driven by electoral trusts like Prudent Electoral Trust.
BJP received ₹6,088 crore in donations in 2024-25, nearly 12 times more than Congress
A What happened
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, BJP received ₹6,088 crore in donations, marking an increase from ₹3,967 crore the previous year and outpacing Congress's ₹522.13 crore, which fell from ₹1,129.66 crore. The rise followed the February 2024 abolition of the electoral bonds scheme, with electoral trusts like Prudent Electoral Trust emerging as significant donors. BJP obtained ₹3,142.65 crore from these trusts. Other parties such as Trinamool Congress, YSR Congress, and BJD reported declines in donations, while JD(U), Samajwadi Party, and CPI(ML)L saw increases. This shift reflects evolving political funding structures ahead of elections.

Key insights

  • 1

    Fundamental shift in political funding channels: The scrapping of the electoral bonds scheme led to electoral trusts becoming primary donors, altering transparency and influence dynamics in Indian political finance.

  • 2

    BJP's dominant fundraising reflects strategic resource mobilization: BJP's surge in donations signals superior access to funding sources and possibly greater corporate and institutional backing compared to opposition parties.

  • 3

    Donation patterns indicate political realignments and resource concentration: Declining funds for some regional parties and rising donations for BJP and aligned parties suggest consolidation of financial support around the ruling party ahead of electoral contests.

Takeaways

BJP's substantial increase in donations underscores its financial strength and indicates a reconfiguration of political funding channels in India following policy changes.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation Governance

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