mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is the party with highest income of Rs 173.58 crore as per income disclosures by national parties for 2016-17. Against expectations BSP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), their incomes have shown increase during the note ban year.

Five out of seven national parties (BSP, NCP, CPM, CPI and AITC) have declared a total income of Rs 299.54 crore, collected from all over India.

While Bhartiya Janta Party and Congress are yet to reveal their incomes as per the audit report submitted by the national parties to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the FY 2016-17.

Between FY 2015-16 and 2016-17, the income of BSP increased by 266.32 per cent (Rs 126.195 crore) from Rs 47.385 crore during FY 2015-16 to Rs 173.58 crore during FY 2016-17 while the income of NCP increased by 88.63 per cent (Rs 8.098 crore) from Rs 9.137 crore during FY 2015-16 to Rs 17.235 crore during FY 2016-17.

While CPM income went down from Rs 107.48 crores in 2015-16 to Rs 100.256 crore, AITC too went down from Rs 34.578 crore to Rs 6.39 crore, as well as CPI whose income went down from Rs 2.176 crore to Rs 2.079 crore.

BSP declared a total income of Rs 173.58 crore during FY- 2016-17, but spent only 30 per cent (Rs 51.83 crore) of the total income.

Interestingly, AITC ruling West Bengal has declared a total income of Rs 6.39 crore during FY 2016-17, but spent an excess of Rs 17.87 crore (280 per cent) over total income.

NCP also incurred an excess expenditure of Rs 7.732 crore over its total income of Rs 17.235 crore.

Head of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) Major General Anil Verma (rtd) told India Today, "Analysis of the total income of National parties from 2013-14 to 2016-17 reveals that there was a general increase in the collections by the parties prior to the General elections 2014, AITC collections were higher in 2015-16 due to the West Bengal assembly elections, however BSP and NCP show a sharp increase in donations received in 2016-17."

Experts suggest that spike in BSP's income could be possibly because of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls last year which may have helped the party offset note ban effect.

Major General Verma said that the cash donations above Rs 20,000 show an interesting picture when we compare 2014-15 and 2015-16, while INC and CPI show a sharp increase, in case of BJP there is a sharp drop from Rs 21 lakhs to Rs 1.31 lakhs, all the other National parties declared that they did not receive any cash donations above Rs 20,000.

National Parties have declared donations/contributions as one of their 3 main sources of income. BSP-Rs 75.26 crore, CPM-Rs 36.727 crore, NCP-Rs 6.62 cr and AITC-Rs 2.17 crore. Grant/ donations/ contributions of Rs 120.71 crore declared by the five National Parties forms 40.30 per cent of the total income of the parties during FY 2016-17.

Declaration of Rs 66.06 crore under Membership Fees by the parties forms 22 per cent of the total income of the parties, while Bank Interest constitutes 17.87 per cent of the total income of the parties during FY 2016-17.

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has analysed Income & Expenditure of National Political Parties for 2016-2017. The due date for submission of annual audited accounts for the parties was 30th Oct, 2017.

BSP, CPM and Mamata Banerjee's AITC submitted their audit reports on time while CPI submitted its audit report 22 days after the due date for submission. But as on 7th February, 2018, BJP and INC have not yet submitted their audited reports to the ECI, more than three months after the due date for submission, said the ADR report.

The income of BJP during FY 2015-16 was highest among all the national parties.

The party had declared a total income of Rs 570.86 crore but is yet to submit its copy of Income Tax returns for FY 2016-17 to the Election Commission of India. Congress which had an income of Rs 261 crore in 2015-16 has also not submitted details of last financial year.