Bank Balance: BJP Nearly 130 Times Richer Than Congress

India is the largest democratic nation in the world, and accordingly, political parties operating in the country command massive financial resources.

In this context, the latest disclosures made by India’s leading national parties, the BJP and the Congress, present a stark contrast. Let us take a look at the bank balance details submitted by these two parties after the recent Delhi elections held earlier this year.

According to the audited disclosure submitted by the BJP to the Central Election Commission, the saffron party has a bank balance of Rs 6,900 crore. This makes the BJP the richest political party in India by a huge margin.

In comparison, the Congress has disclosed a bank balance of just Rs 53 crore, which appears extremely small when measured against the BJP’s financial strength.

This data is compiled based on information officially submitted by the parties. However, there is an important catch. Political parties are required to disclose only donations exceeding Rs 20,000. In reality, many parties receive contributions in smaller amounts to avoid mandatory disclosure, meaning their actual financial strength could be much higher.

Among other national parties, the BSP has disclosed a bank balance of Rs 580 crore, while the AAP has reported just Rs 9.9 crore. The CPM has Rs 4 crore, and the CPI has a modest Rs 41 lakh, which is among the lowest for any national party.