Archive · 7 Nov 2025
Majority of Bihar's Unrecognized Parties Failed Financial Disclosures: ADR Report
Imagine there are many small political groups that want to participate in elections but aren't as big as the main parties.
These groups have rules they must follow, like telling everyone how much money they received and how they spent it.
A group called ADR looked at these small parties, especially those linked to Bihar.
They found that more than half of these parties didn't share their money reports for the last year.
This means we don't know where their money came from or where it went.
Only a few parties did share their reports.
The election watchdog also removed some parties because they were not following the rules or were inactive.
This makes it hard to know if these parties are being honest about their finances, which is important for fair elections.
Over 59% of registered unrecognised political parties linked to Bihar failed to submit mandatory financial disclosures for 2023-24.
The ADR report reviewed 275 such parties, finding 163 did not upload audit reports or donation statements above Rs 20,000.
Of the non-compliant parties, 113 had contested the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls.
Only 24.36% of parties made both audit and contribution reports public, collectively reporting Rs 85.56 crore in income.
The Election Commission recently de-listed 32 parties for inactivity and non-compliance.
- Who
- The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)
- What
- Reported that over half of registered unrecognised political parties associated with Bihar failed to disclose their mandatory financial information for 2023-24.
- When
- For the financial year 2023-24, with recent Election Commission actions noted in August and September.
- Where
- Primarily focusing on political parties registered in Bihar, but also reviewing those in other states.
- Why
- To assess compliance with mandatory financial disclosure requirements for political parties.
Perspective of ADR Report
Implications of Non-Disclosure
Financial Transparency
Perspective of ADR Report
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report highlights that 59.27% of registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) associated with Bihar did not publicly disclose their audit reports or donation statements for 2023-24.
Implications of Non-Disclosure
The failure of a significant majority of RUPPs to provide mandatory financial disclosures raises concerns about the transparency of their funding and operations.
Compliance and Action
Perspective of ADR Report
The ADR report notes that the Election Commission (EC) recently de-listed 32 parties for non-compliance and inactivity.
Implications of Non-Disclosure
The de-listing of parties suggests a pattern of non-adherence to regulatory requirements, potentially impacting the legitimacy and operational status of these political entities.
Election Participation
Perspective of ADR Report
The report indicates that 113 of the non-disclosing parties contested the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls, and 28 RUPPs registered in Bihar did not contest any elections.
Implications of Non-Disclosure
The data suggests a disconnect between parties that fail to meet financial reporting obligations and their participation in elections, raising questions about accountability for parties that contest polls without full financial transparency.
- Reporting Body
- Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)
- Total Parties Reviewed
- 275 (184 in Bihar, 91 in other states)
- Parties Failing Disclosure (2023-24)
- 163 (59.27%)
- Parties Complying with Disclosure (2023-24)
- 67 (24.36%)
- Total Income of Compliant Parties (2023-24)
- Rs 85.56 crore
- Total Expenditure of Compliant Parties (2023-24)
- Rs 71.49 crore
- Total Donations of Compliant Parties (2023-24)
- Rs 71.73 crore
- De-listed Parties (Recent EC Action)
- 32
