BJP was highest spender in Maharashtra, Haryana polls in 2014: Report

BJP spent over 60% of the total expenditure by all political parties in the 2014 Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls, according to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms

BJP (IANS Photo)
BJP (IANS Photo)
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IANS

The BJP had spent over 60 per cent of the total expenditure by all political parties, on publicity, travel, miscellaneous expenses and lumpsum amount to the candidates in the 2014 Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls, according to a report the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The ADR report says the total expenditure collectively by all the parties in these two elections were ₹362.87 crore.

With an expenditure of ₹226.82 crore, the BJP came first, with the Congress in second place with total expenditure of ₹63.31 crore.

Of the total expenditure of ₹362.87 crore by all the political parties, ₹280.72 crore (77.36 percent) was spent on publicity, followed by ₹41.40 crore on travel expenses.

"The BJP has incurred the maximum -- ₹186.39 crore -- under Publicity, which forms 66.40 per cent of the total expenditure incurred by all political parties on Publicity," the ADR said.

Also, among the political parties, the BJP collected the maximum funds at ₹296.74 crore.

"Of the total funds collected by the BJP, the Central headquarters got 58.69 percent (₹174.159 crore), while the Maharashtra unit got ₹122.28 crore, and the Haryana unit got ₹0.303 crore," the report added.

The Congress also came second in terms of fund collections with ₹84.37 crore.


"Of this, the Central headquarters got ₹16.55 crore, while the Maharashtra unit bagged funds of ₹62.74 crore (74.36 percent) and Haryana unit got ₹5.083 crore," it added.

All the political parties collectively got funds of ₹464.55 crore at the central headquarters of the parties as well as its state units.

"The most preferred mode of collection was by cheque/DD where the parties collected ₹323.66 crore (69.67 percent) of the total funds collected both at state and Central levels."

Cash was preferred less by the parties both for collecting and spending the money.

"The cash accounted for about 30 percent (₹140.61 crore) of the total funds collected and only seven per cent of the expenditure was done in cash."

In terms of expenditure, the central headquarters of the political parties spent maximum (₹204.10 crore), followed by Maharashtra units (₹136.69 crore).

"Haryana state units spend ₹16.42 crore in the elections," the report said, which also mentioned that the Haryana state unit collected funds of ₹12.46 crore.

The report also said that at the state level, Maharashtra incurred 732 percent higher expenditure than Haryana.

The ADR said that the elections expenditure statements of JDS and RLD were not available in the public domain even 4 years and nine months after elections.

"Also, three national parties, Congress, CPI and BJP delayed the submission of their election expenditure statements for Maharashtra and Haryana State Assembly elections, 2014 by 181 days, 197 days and 198 days, respectively."

The BJP came to power in the two states in 2014. Both states are going for polls on October 21.

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