Nearly 14 regional parties, including AAP, DMK and JD(U), have declared receiving donations through electoral bonds worth Rs 447.49 crore in 2019-20, and this constitutes 50.97 per cent of their income. The total income of 42 regional parties analysed for the financial year 2019-20 was Rs 877.957 crore.
In its latest report on analysis of income and expenditure of regional political parties for the year 2019-20, the Association for Democratic Reforms said that only 14 of the 42 regional parties that were analysed declared donations through electoral bonds amounting to Rs 447.498 crore, which constitutes 50.97 per cent of their total income. These 14 parties are - TRS, TDP, YSR-C, BJD, DMK, Shiv Sena, AAP, JD(U), SP, JDS, SAD, AIADMK, RJD and JMM. The TRS reported having the highest income of Rs 130.46 crore, which forms 14.86 per cent of the total income of all the parties analysed, it said. Shiv Sena had an income of Rs 111.403 crore or 12.69 per cent and YSR-C Rs 92.739 crore or 10.56 per cent of the total income of the 42 regional parties analysed in this report.
It said that out of 39 parties from the 42 political parties whose data is available for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 fiscals, 23 parties have shown an increase in their income from 2018-19 to 2019-20, while 16 parties have shown a decline in their income during this period. The total income of the 39 parties decreased from Rs 1087.206 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 874.467 crore in 2019-20, a dip of 19.57 per cent or Rs 212.739 crore, the report said. The poll rights body said that there are 24 regional parties which declared a part of their income as remaining unspent for the financial year 2019-20 while 18 political parties spent more than the income collected during the year.
The TRS has more than 83.76 per cent of its total income remaining unspent while AIADMK and JJP have 67.82 per cent and 64 per cent , respectively, of their income remaining unspent for the 2019-20 fiscal. "TDP, BJD, DMK, SP, JDS, AJSU, JVM-P, INLD, PMK, MGP, GFP, SDF, MNF, AIFB, NPF, JKPDP, IPFT and MPC are the 18 regional parties that declared spending more than their income. BJD has declared spending the highest amount of Rs 95.78 cr or 106.01 per cent more than its income," the report said. The ADR said the 42 regional parties collected Rs 676.326 crore or 77.03 per cent of their total income from voluntary contributions, including donations and contributions, and electoral bonds, for FY 2019-20.