By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Fourteen regional parties received donations through electoral bonds worth Rs 447.49 crore in 2019-20, which constitutes 50.97 per cent of the collective income of 42 regional parties for the financial year, that was Rs 877.957 crore.
In its latest report on analysis of income and expenditure of regional political parties for FY 2019-20, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said only 14 of the 42 parties that were analysed declared receiving donations through electoral bonds. These are — TRS, TDP, YSR-C, BJD, DMK, Shiv Sena, AAP, JD(U), SP, JD-S, SAD, AIADMK, RJD and JMM.
The ADR said the 42 parties collected Rs 676.326 crore or 77.03 per cent of their total income from voluntary contributions, including electoral bonds. Income raised through other donations and contributions amounted to Rs 228.828 crore or 26.06 per cent of the total while Rs 113.761 crore or 12.96 per cent was generated through interest income and FDRs.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) declared the highest income of Rs 130.46 crore, which forms 14.86 per cent of the total income of all the parties analysed, the ADR report said. The Shiv Sena had an income of Rs 111.403 crore or 12.69 per cent of the overall income and YSR Congress had Rs 92.739 crore or 10.56 per cent.
The report said out of 39 parties from among the 42, whose data was available for the two fiscals, 23 showed an increase in their income from 2018-19 to 2019-20, while 16 showed a decline. The overall income of the 39 parties decreased 19.57 per cent — from Rs 1,087.206 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 874.467 crore in 2019-20.
The ADR said 24 regional parties declared that a part of their income for 2019-20 remained unspent while 18 parties spent more than what they earned. The TRS had over 83.76 per cent of its total income remaining unspent, followed by AIADMK and JJP at 67.82 and 64 per cent, respectively.
“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 crore or 106.01 per cent more than its income,” the report said.
