The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent the highest amount in the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The BJP’s total expenditure stood at ₹1,494 crore, accounting for 44.56% of all election-related spending.

The Congress came second, spending ₹620 crore, which makes up 18.5% of the total. ADR analysed the expenses of 32 national and regional political parties.

In total, parties spent ₹3,352.81 crore on the elections held between March 16 and June 6 across the country, including Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim.

Out of this, national parties alone spent ₹2,204 crore — about 65.75% of the total expenditure.

Parties spent over ₹2,000 crore on publicity in 2024 polls

As per the ADR report, political parties spent the most money on publicity during the 2024 elections. A total of ₹2,008 crore was used for advertisements and promotions—more than 53% of the total election expenditure.

Travel was the second biggest cost. Parties spent ₹795 crore on travel, out of which ₹765 crore went towards the travel of star campaigners. In comparison, only ₹30 crore was spent on the travel of other workers and campaigners.

4 key highlights from ADR report on 2024 election spending

• National parties received the lion’s share of funds: National parties raised ₹6,930.25 crore during the elections, while regional parties received only ₹515.32 crore. This means national parties got 93.08% of the total funds.
• ₹402 crore given directly to candidates: Political parties distributed ₹402 crore in cash or lump sum payments to their candidates during the elections.
• ₹132 crore spent on digital campaigning: Parties spent ₹132 crore on online and virtual campaign activities, including social media ads and digital outreach.
• ₹28 crore used to publish criminal records of candidates": As required by law, parties spent ₹28 crore to publicise the criminal backgrounds of their candidates.

Many parties delayed submitting poll expense reports

As per election rules, all political parties must submit their expenditure details to the Election Commission within 90 days of the election. However, several parties missed the deadline.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) submitted its report 168 days after the elections, while the BJP delayed its submission by 139 to 154 days. Among major parties, only the Congress submitted its expenditure reports for both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections within the stipulated time.

Many parties' poll spending reports missing from EC website

The ADR has raised concerns over the lack of transparency in election expenditure reporting. According to ADR, the poll spending reports of several political parties are not available on the Election Commission's official website. These include parties such as the NCP, CPI, JMM, and Shiv Sena (UBT).

The report also pointed out that some parties, including the PDP and Kerala Congress (M), declared zero expenditure despite actively contesting the elections.

Additionally, ADR noted that 690 unrecognised parties participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but their financial data was not included in the report due to non-availability of information.