BJP received ₹1,472 crore during last 5 state polls
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a whopping ₹1,472.8 crore at its central headquarters alone during the last five state assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This is over seven times the ₹207 crore reported by Congress across its central and state units, according to expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission. After the elections on May 6, 2026, ended, the BJP's closing balance stood at ₹7,627.2 crore, up from ₹6,722.6 crore on March 15.
Congress
How much did Congress spend
In stark contrast, the Congress saw its finances dip by ₹65.86 crore during this time.
The party ended with around ₹103.2 crore after starting with approximately ₹169.06 crore (₹22.9 crore in cash and ₹146.1 crore in bank accounts).
It also spent ₹143 crore on general party propaganda and ₹105.55 crore on candidates across all five states.
Its central headquarters spent ₹40.52 crore on general propaganda, while state and local units spent another ₹102.49 crore under this head.
Expenditure breakdown
BJP's total expenditure
The BJP spent a total of ₹160 crore on the assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Assam was the biggest expense for the party at ₹96.3 crore, followed by Tamil Nadu at ₹51.6 crore and Puducherry at ₹11.9 crore.
Nearly ₹130.4 crore was spent on general party propaganda, while candidates received lump sum payments of ₹29.6 crore along with publicity for their criminal antecedents.
Assam spending
How much BJP spent on general party propaganda in Assam
In Assam, the BJP's election expenditure statement revealed a total spend of ₹76.7 crore on general party propaganda.
This included ₹23.1 crore by its central unit and another ₹19.5 crore on candidates' expenses.
Star campaigners' travel expenses accounted for ₹27.3 crore, while advertisements cost the party ₹37 crore.
Publicity materials consumed another ₹8.9 crore, with other state unit expenses at ₹2.3 crore during this election period in Assam alone.
Candidate expenses
Candidates' expenses in Assam, Tamil Nadu
The BJP also paid a total lump sum of ₹19.4 crore to candidates in Assam, along with ₹16.7 lakh spent on publishing their criminal antecedents.
In Tamil Nadu, the party authorized a total spend of ₹44.5 crore for general party propaganda and another ₹7 crore for candidates' expenses during the elections there.
The party's expenditure figures for the Kerala and West Bengal elections have yet to be made public, which means its consolidated receipts are expected to be higher.