The BJP had made this declaration in its contribution report for 2019-20, which the Election Commission had shared on its website last month. A BJP spokesperson had told The Indian Express that the amount mentioned against the Amravati Municipal Corporation was a voluntary contribution from BJP corporators from their salary towards flood relief in Maharashtra.

“The corporators requested the municipal corporation/government to deduct a small amount from their salary and collectively transfer the money to BJP on their behalf. This amount of Rs 4,80,000 pertains to those small donations (below Rs 20,000) that were collected from the corporators but transferred directly to the party by the Amravati Municipal Corporation. This amount is not a donation from Amravati Municipal Corporation,” the party spokesperson had said.

The ADR report analysing BJP’s contribution for 2019-20 also flagged three donations of land worth Rs 1.516 crore. “The three donations are from Jhanjhapur, Bihar, each worth Rs 36.80 lakhs, Rs 50 lakhs and Rs 64.88 lakhs. Apart from the names, location of the donors, PAN details of one donor, no other details have been provided like donors’ address, bank details, PAN of remaining two donors, address and khasra no. of land, type of land agricultural/commercial,” it states.

This is not the first time the BJP has received a donation in kind. In 2017-18, it had received six Bolero cars from a donor.

The donations declared by the BJP are more than three times the aggregate declared by the INC, NCP, CPI, CPM and AITC for the same period — Rs 785.77 crore against Rs 228.035 crore declared by the remaining parties.