The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent Rs 286.99 crore on the West Bengal Assembly elections alone, exceeding the Rs 248.55 crore spent by the Congress across four states and a Union territory that went to polls earlier this year, according to expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission.
West Bengal accounted for more than half of the BJP’s total expenditure of Rs 529.38 crore across the five elections. The other elections were held in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The BJP spent Rs 217.16 crore on general campaigning in West Bengal and another Rs 69.83 crore on candidates.
The BJP ousted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and came to power in West Bengal for the first time. It won 207 of the 293 seats for which results were declared, while the TMC secured 80 seats.
The Congress contested 293 seats independently in the state and won two. Its expenditure statement showed spending of Rs 42.08 crore through its central headquarters and state unit. Of this, Rs 12.96 crore was spent on general campaigning and Rs 29.12 crore on candidates and related expenses.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), which ruled West Bengal for decades before losing power in 2011, contested 197 seats and won one. Its state unit reported expenditure of Rs 8.23 crore, including spending on candidates.
The TMC, which was the BJP’s principal rival in West Bengal, has not yet made its expenditure statement public.
Kerala Election Expenditure
The expenditure figures from Kerala showed a different pattern. The Congress-led alliance displaced the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front. The Congress won 63 seats, while the CPI(M) secured 26 seats and the BJP won three.
The Congress reported spending Rs 105.34 crore in Kerala through its headquarters and state unit, compared with Rs 82.67 crore spent by the BJP.
Of the Congress’ Kerala expenditure, Rs 71.30 crore went towards general campaigning and Rs 34.05 crore towards candidates and related expenses.
The BJP reported spending Rs 54.93 crore on general campaigning and Rs 27.74 crore on candidates in Kerala.
The CPI(M), a major political force in the state, reported expenditure of Rs 28.60 crore through its state unit. This included Rs 26.30 crore on general campaigning and Rs 2.31 crore on candidates.
Spending Across Five Elections
Across the five elections, the Congress reported total expenditure of Rs 248.55 crore. Of this amount, Rs 143 crore was spent on general campaigning and Rs 105.55 crore on candidates.
The CPI(M)’s consolidated expenditure across the five elections stood at Rs 39.04 crore.
Apart from West Bengal and Kerala, the BJP reported spending Rs 96.27 crore in Assam, Rs 51.56 crore in Tamil Nadu and Rs 11.90 crore in Puducherry.
Party Receipts and Balances
Earlier filings showed that the BJP’s central headquarters received Rs 1,472.8 crore during the election period. The Congress reported receipts of Rs 207.17 crore across its headquarters and five state units.
The BJP’s central office ended the election period with a balance of Rs 7,627.2 crore, compared with Rs 6,722.6 crore when the elections were announced.
The Congress’ combined balance across its headquarters and five state units, meanwhile, declined from around Rs 169.06 crore to Rs 103.2 crore during the same period.