The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the frontrunner in political donations, declaring contributions amounting to nearly ₹720 crore in the fiscal year 2022-23, as per data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
This figure surpasses the aggregate donations received by four other major national parties — the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), and National People’s Party (NPP).
According to the ADR’s compilation of data, the total donations (exceeding ₹20,000) declared by national parties for the fiscal year 2022-23 amounted to ₹850.438 crore, originating from 12,167 donations.
In contrast, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), classified as the sixth national party in the country, reported that it did not receive any donations exceeding ₹20,000 during the said fiscal year, maintaining a consistent declaration pattern observed over the past 17 years.
The BJP disclosed donations totaling ₹719.858 crore from 7,945 contributions, whereas the Congress reported ₹79.924 crore from 894 donations.
The donations declared by the BJP significantly overshadow those of the Congress, AAP, NPP, and CPI(M) combined for the same period, reflecting a substantial lead in fundraising efforts.
Notably, the National People’s Party (NPP) is the sole political entity from the Northeast region holding national party status.
Overall, national party donations witnessed a notable increase of ₹91.701 crore, marking a 12.09% rise from the preceding fiscal year 2021-22.
The BJP’s donations recorded a notable surge from ₹614.626 crore in FY 2021-22 to ₹719.858 crore in FY 2022-23, constituting a 17.12% increase. However, the party experienced a significant decline of 41.49% in donations during FY 2020-21 compared to FY 2019-20.
Meanwhile, the Congress reported a decrease in donations from ₹95.459 crore in FY 2021-22 to ₹79.924 crore in FY 2022-23, marking a 16.27% dip.
The CPI(M) witnessed a 39.56% decline in donations, while AAP experienced a 2.99% decrease amounting to ₹1.143 crore, relative to the previous financial year.