BJP has received Rs 720 crore in contributions for the year 2022-23, showing a rise of 17.1% compared to the previous year. Congress, on the other hand, received Rs 79.9 crore, reflecting a decrease of 16.3% in contributions. The contribution reports of political parties were made public by the Election Commission, and they do not include amounts received through electoral bonds. These bonds will be declared in the parties’ annual audit reports. The reports for the year 2022-23 are still pending.

BJP’s contributions were boosted significantly by Prudent Electoral Trust, which contributed Rs 254.7 crore, accounting for 35% of the party’s total amount received. Einzigartig Electoral Trust contributed Rs 8 lakh. Regional party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) declared contributions worth Rs 154 crore in excess of Rs 20,000 each, and also reported receipts of Rs 529 crore through electoral bonds. AAP declared donations worth Rs 37.1 crore, which was 2.9% less than the previous year.

Congress’s donations saw a significant dip of over Rs 15 crore before the party’s victory in the Karnataka assembly polls in May. Their contributions stood at Rs 79.9 crore, which is much lower compared to regional parties like BRS. BRS reported contributions of Rs 154 crore in excess of Rs 20,000 each, along with Rs 529 crore through electoral bonds. AAP declared all its contribution receipts, including those below Rs 20,000 crore.

It is important to note that the contribution reports do not cover amounts received through electoral bonds, which will be included in the parties’ annual audit reports. The reports for all national parties for the year 2022-23 are still pending. CPM’s receipts from contributions fell by almost 40% to Rs 6 crore compared to over Rs 10 crore in the previous year. The National People’s Party, founded by former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, reported donations worth Rs 7.4 crore, a significant increase from the Rs 35 lakh received in the previous year.