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'Unknown sources' constitute 54% of 5 national parties' income

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 20 April 2016, 8:14 IST

India's election watchdog Association of Democratic Rights has found that 54 per cent of the total income of national level political parties in 2014-15 was from unknown sources.

The ADR analysed the income and expenditure of the BJP, CPM, CPI, BSP and the NCP, based on their income tax returns submitted to the Election Commission of India. The Congress has not submitted its audit report to the commission yet, while the BJP and the NCP submitted their records to the EC days after the 30 November deadline.

The ADR's analysis found that among the five parties, the NCP was the only one to make the details of all voluntary donations public, according to The Telegraph.

The sources of about 50 per cent of the voluntary contributions to the BJP are unknown, says the ADR's report. The BJP had the highest income in the financial year 2014-15.

"Unknown sources" is a term referring to donations under Rs 20,000 that are declared in tax returns, but from miscellaneous sources that could range from the sale of coupons, to relief funds, other miscellaneous income, voluntary contributions, and contributions from meetings and morchas.

The BJP's income for the year was Rs 970.43 crore, the CPM's Rs 123.92 crore, the BSP's Rs 111.95 crore, the NCP's Rs 67.64 crore and the CPI's Rs 1.84 crore.

The BJP accounted for 76.06 per cent of the total income of national parties, a rise of 44.02 per cent over the previous year. 

However, the BSP registered the biggest increase in income, with 67.31 per cent over the previous year.

First published: 20 April 2016, 8:14 IST