According to a report by Election Watchdog, Association For Democratic Reforms, The Ruling Bhartiya Janata Party‘s total income has seen a dip of ₹7 crores. The BJP has declared a total income of ₹1,027.34 crore during the financial year 2017-18 and spent 74 percent ( ₹758.47 crore) of it.
The BJP’s income for the year came down by nearly ₹7 crore as compared to ₹1,034.27 crore total income it had declared in 2016-17.
As per the report that was released on Monday, The BJP is followed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) at ₹104.847 crores. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) declared a total income of ₹51.694 crore in the year. BSP spent 29 percent ( ₹14.78 crore).
The Sharad Pawar Led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was the only party to have spent more than its total income of ₹8.15 crore. The party spent ₹8.84 crore, the report said.
Whereas, Mamata Banerjee led TMC declared a total income of ₹5.167 crore in the Financial Year 2017-18 while the Communist Party of India (CPI)‘s total income was ₹1.55 crore.
The Indian National Congress, which in 2016-17 declared ₹225.36 crore, is yet to submit its copy of Income Tax returns for the year.
The due date for submission of annual audited accounts for the parties was October 30.
Sitaram Yechury speaking on ADR Report alleged that it is clear that BJP and Modi Government is facilitating Crony Capitalism in return for Corporate funds for the electoral race.
“You will not find any more money trails, trail lies in the fact whatever has to be given as a commission, it is given through the electoral bonds”, Yechury alleged, while claiming this was the reason why the BJP leaders were repeatedly asking where was the money trail if there was any scam in the Rafale deal.
The Communist Party of India (Marxists) alleged that the electoral bonds have become new ‘tax havens’ as commissions to be given to political parties are now being paid through these instruments and this was the case in the Rafale deal.
The ADR said it analyzed the total income and expenditure of national parties during 2017-18, as declared by the parties in their IT Returns submitted to the ECI.