Regional parties saw an 85% surge in number of donations above ₹20,000 in 2024-25: ADR
The number of donations of more than ₹20,000 each declared by regional political parties rose sharply by 85% in the financial year 2024-25. These parties
The number of donations of more than ₹20,000 each declared by regional political parties rose sharply by 85% in the financial year 2024-25. These parties got only 2,861 such donations in 2023-24, but this almost doubled to to 5,297 such donations the next year, with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) declaring the highest donations worth ₹365.78 crore, according to an analysis by the Association of Democratic Reforms. Several parties witnessed a significant increase in the amount of donations they received between the two financial years. Apart from the DMK, other regional parties that benefited were the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), the Janata Dal (United), and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
Parties that saw a drop in the amount of donations in 2024-25 include the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Janasena Party, the Communist Party of India, the Jannayak Party, the Janata Dal (Secular), and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The top recipients for each year demonstrate the stark differences. In 2023-24, the TDP had declared the highest number of donations above ₹20,000, receiving ₹100.19 crore from 172 donations. Just a year later, when the DMK topped the list, it declared that it had received a total of ₹365.78 crore from 467 such donations above ₹20,000 each.
Missing donation reports The report analysed the donations made to 40 of the 67 regional parties. Only 12 regional parties submitted their contribution reports on time for 2024-25, while 24 parties had submitted them on time the previous year. A total of 21 regional parties submitted their contribution reports late in 2024-25, with delays ranging from eight days to 160 days. The previous year, 14 regional parties had delayed their submissions from two days to 109 days. There were 33 regional parties whose contribution reports for 2024-25 are not available on the website of the Election Commission of India.
These include the Bharat Adivasi Party, Goa Forward Party, Voice of the People Party, Citizen Action Party–Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir Conference, Asom Gana Parishad, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, Tipra Motha Party, All India Forward Bloc, All India N.R. Congress, Bodoland People’s Front, Hill State People’s Democratic Party, and the Jammu & Kashmir Panthers Party, among others.
The BriefWire