In a recent revelation by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the leading recipient of donations, receiving a staggering ₹719.858 crore during the fiscal year 2022-23. This substantial amount was contributed by 7,945 donors, marking a notable increase of 17.12% compared to the previous financial year (2021-22) when the party received ₹614.626 crore.
According to the ADR report, the total donations declared by all national parties for FY 2022-23 amounted to ₹850.438 crore, sourced from 12,167 contributions. While the BJP witnessed a significant surge in donations, the Indian National Congress (INC) secured the second position with contributions totaling ₹79.924 crore, reflecting a decrease from the previous fiscal year (-16.27%).
Moreover, the report highlighted a decline in donations declared by other political entities such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), witnessing a decrease of 39.56% (₹3.978 crore), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) experiencing a marginal decline of 2.99% (₹1.143 crore).
Notably, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) continued its streak for the 17th consecutive year, declaring that it did not receive any donations exceeding ₹20,000 during FY 2022-23. The ADR report further delineated the state-wise distribution of donations, revealing that Delhi topped the list with contributions amounting to ₹276.202 crore, followed by Gujarat with ₹160.509 crore and Maharashtra with ₹96.273 crore.
Corporate and business sectors emerged as the primary contributors, accounting for 80.017% of the total donations with contributions totaling ₹680.495 crore. In contrast, individual donors contributed ₹166.621 crore (19.592% of total donations) to political parties during the fiscal year.
Of particular note, the BJP received a substantial portion of corporate donations, totaling ₹610.491 crore, which surpassed the combined corporate contributions received by all other national parties. Prudent Electoral Trust emerged as the top donor, contributing a total of ₹257.15 crore to both the BJP (₹256.25 crore) and AAP (₹90 lakh).
Overall, the total donations of national parties witnessed a significant increase of ₹91.701 crore, representing a rise of 12.09% from the previous financial year 2021-22. As political funding continues to be a subject of scrutiny and debate, the ADR report sheds light on the financial dynamics within India’s political landscape, underscoring the significance of transparency and accountability in electoral financing.
Sources By Agencies
