BJP Commands Overwhelming Share of Political Donations in 2024-25, ADR Report Reveals
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a staggering more than 91 per cent of all donations declared by national political parties during the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to a comprehensive analysis released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report, published on Thursday, highlights a dramatic 161 per cent surge in overall political funding above the Rs 20,000 threshold compared to the previous financial period.
National Parties See Massive Funding Influx
Total donations exceeding Rs 20,000 declared by national parties amounted to Rs 6,648.563 crore from 11,343 individual contributions in FY25. This represents an increase of Rs 4,104.285 crore from the 2023-24 fiscal year, underscoring a significant escalation in political financial activity.
Of this colossal sum, the BJP alone amassed Rs 6,074.015 crore through 5,522 donations. The Indian National Congress followed distantly with Rs 517.394 crore from 2,501 contributions. The BJP's declared donations exceeded the combined total of the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), and the National People's Party (NPEP) by more than tenfold for the same period.
Party-Wise Donation Growth and Trends
The BJP's collections witnessed an extraordinary 171 per cent jump, rising from Rs 2,243.947 crore in 2023-24. Donations to the Congress increased by 84 per cent, from Rs 281.48 crore to Rs 517.394 crore.
Among other national parties, the AAP received Rs 27.044 crore, marking a 244 per cent increase. The NPEP garnered Rs 1.943 crore, reflecting a massive 1,313 per cent rise. In contrast, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) declared that it did not receive any donations above Rs 20,000, maintaining this stance for the 19th consecutive year.
Corporate Donations Overwhelmingly Dominate Funding Landscape
Corporate contributions formed the backbone of political funding, accounting for Rs 6,128.787 crore or 92.18 per cent of the total across 3,244 donations. Individual donors contributed Rs 505.66 crore through 7,900 donations, comprising 7.61 per cent of the overall amount.
The BJP received Rs 5,717.167 crore from 2,794 corporate donations, which is more than 13 times the combined corporate contributions of all other national parties, totaling Rs 411.62 crore. The party also secured Rs 345.94 crore from 2,627 individual donors.
The Congress obtained Rs 383.86 crore through 112 corporate donations and Rs 132.39 crore from 2,357 individual contributors during the fiscal year.
Key Donors and Electoral Trusts Lead Contributions
Prudent Electoral Trust emerged as a major donor, contributing a total of Rs 2,413.465 crore to the BJP, Congress, and AAP combined. This included:
- Rs 2,180.7119 crore to the BJP (35.90% of the party's total funds)
- Rs 216.335 crore to the Congress (41.81% of the party's total funds)
- Rs 16.4178 crore to the AAP (43.08% of the party's total funds)
Other significant electoral trusts included:
- Progressive Electoral Trust, which donated Rs 834.97 crore through two contributions
- AB General Electoral Trust, contributing Rs 621 crore via 16 donations
- New Democratic Electoral Trust, providing Rs 155 crore through seven donations to the BJP and Congress
Notable corporate donors to the BJP included Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd with Rs 100 crore through three donations and Rungta Sons Private Limited with Rs 95 crore via four donations in 2024-25.
The ADR report provides a detailed snapshot of the evolving financial dynamics within India's political ecosystem, highlighting the BJP's dominant position and the critical role of corporate and electoral trust funding in shaping political finance.
