Archive · 25 Sep 2026
BJP’s Bengal Poll Spending Exceeded Congress’s Five-Election Outlay
Political parties reported how much money they used during five elections in 2026.
The BJP said it spent Rs 529.38 crore in total.
More than half of that amount, Rs 286.99 crore, was spent in West Bengal.
Congress reported spending Rs 248.55 crore across all five elections.
Congress spent more than the BJP in Kerala.
The BJP also reported receiving much more money during the election period than Congress.
Other parties, including the CPI(M), DMK and AIADMK, also reported election expenses.
The Trinamool Congress had not yet made its West Bengal spending statement public.
One supplied account made an additional claim about a Tamil Nadu party winning, but the other accounts did not confirm it.
The BJP reported spending Rs 286.99 crore in West Bengal, exceeding Congress’s Rs 248.55 crore across five elections.
The BJP’s total expenditure across West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was Rs 529.38 crore.
In West Bengal, the BJP reported Rs 217.16 crore on general campaigning and Rs 69.83 crore on candidates.
Congress spent more than the BJP in Kerala, reporting Rs 105.34 crore against the BJP’s Rs 82.67 crore.
The BJP reported Rs 1,472.8 crore in election-period receipts, compared with Rs 207.17 crore for Congress; the TMC’s filing was not public.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, among other parties.
- What
- Election expenditure filings showed that the BJP reported Rs 529.38 crore in total spending, including Rs 286.99 crore in West Bengal, while Congress reported Rs 248.55 crore across five polls.
- When
- During the 2026 Assembly elections; one article was dated September 24, 2026.
- Where
- West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
- Why
- The filings recorded election-related spending on campaigning, candidates, travel, advertising, rallies and other campaign activities.
- BJP total expenditure
- Rs 529.38 crore across five elections
- BJP West Bengal expenditure
- Rs 286.99 crore, including Rs 217.16 crore on general campaigning and Rs 69.83 crore on candidates
- Congress total expenditure
- Rs 248.55 crore, including Rs 143 crore on general campaigning and Rs 105.55 crore on candidates
- BJP spending outside West Bengal
- Rs 96.27 crore in Assam, Rs 82.67 crore in Kerala, Rs 51.56 crore in Tamil Nadu and Rs 11.90 crore in Puducherry
- Kerala comparison
- Congress reported Rs 105.34 crore, compared with Rs 82.67 crore for the BJP
- Other party spending
- CPI(M) reported Rs 39.04 crore across the five elections; DMK reported Rs 197 crore in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry; AIADMK reported Rs 112 crore across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala
- Election-period receipts
- The BJP reported Rs 1,472.8 crore, while Congress reported Rs 207.17 crore
- Reported balances
- The BJP central office balance rose from Rs 6,722.6 crore to Rs 7,627.2 crore, while Congress’s combined balance fell from about Rs 169.06 crore to Rs 103.2 crore
Sources
Assembly polls: BJP spent more in Bengal than Congress did in four states, one UT
BJP Spent Rs 287 Crore On Bengal Polls, More Than Congress In 5 States
BJP’s Bengal Poll Spend Alone Exceeded Congress Outlay Across Five Elections: EC Filings
BJP spends Rs 286.99 crore on Bengal polls, more than Congress did across 5 states: EC filings
