NEW DELHI, May 28 : The combined income of 36 regional political parties declined by over 51 per cent in 2024–25 compared to the previous fiscal year, while 21 of them reported expenditure higher than their declared income, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The report, released on May 27, analysed audited accounts of 36 out of 67 recognised regional parties whose financial statements were available on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website for FY 2024–25. It noted that 31 parties had not uploaded their audit reports even 207 days after the October 31, 2025 deadline.
According to the findings, the total income of the 36 regional parties stood at ₹1,192.94 crore in FY 2024–25, down from ₹2,463.17 crore in the previous year—a decline of ₹1,270.23 crore or 51.57 per cent.
However, total expenditure during the year was reported at ₹1,433.07 crore, exceeding income by ₹240.12 crore, or about 20 per cent overall.
The report said the top five parties accounted for nearly 69 per cent of total income and over 77 per cent of total expenditure among those analysed. The highest income was declared by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at ₹228.31 crore, followed by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) at ₹219.35 crore and the YSR Congress at ₹140.39 crore.
On the expenditure side, YSR Congress topped the list with ₹340.20 crore, followed by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) at ₹288.44 crore and AITC at ₹227.59 crore. The report highlighted that 21 parties spent more than they earned, with YSR Congress recording the highest excess expenditure of ₹199.82 crore.
Other parties, including AITC, BRS, BJD, JD(U), and Samajwadi Party, also reported spending beyond their incomes.
At the same time, 15 parties reported surplus funds. TDP had the highest unspent income at ₹166.98 crore, followed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) with ₹36.27 crore and AIADMK with ₹35.86 crore.
Voluntary contributions remained the primary source of income, accounting for ₹702.36 crore or 58.88 per cent of total earnings. Interest income contributed ₹277.21 crore, or 23.24 per cent.
Among donations, AITC received the highest contributions at ₹184.08 crore, followed by YSR Congress at ₹140.05 crore and TDP at ₹85.20 crore.
On expenditure patterns, election-related spending and administrative costs dominated. Fifteen parties spent more than 55 per cent of their expenditure on elections, with YSR Congress reporting ₹299.92 crore on campaigns, followed by BJD at ₹270.66 crore and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) at ₹147.99 crore.
ADR also flagged delays in filing audit reports, noting that 21 parties submitted them late, with delays ranging from two to 96 days. It further pointed out that 31 parties—including DMK, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference—had not uploaded their FY 2024–25 audit reports at the time of the study.
The report recommended stricter enforcement of disclosure norms, enhanced transparency in donor reporting, and stronger penalties for delayed submissions.
