BJP tops assembly poll spending, Rs 287 crore in Bengal alone
Election expenditure data shows BJP spent Rs 529 crore across five states, with more than half going to West Bengal alone.
Assembly elections were held a few months ago in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala, with all parties, including the BJP, campaigning intensively. Details of how much each party spent in these elections have now come out. The BJP spent Rs 286.99 crore in the West Bengal assembly election alone, more than the combined election spending of the other four states.
The amount the BJP spent in the Bengal election was more than the Congress's total spending of Rs 248.55 crore across the elections held in four states and one union territory earlier in the year. Across the five states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, the BJP spent a total of Rs 529.38 crore, with more than half of that coming from Bengal alone. The party spent Rs 217.16 crore on general campaigning and Rs 69.83 crore on candidates in Bengal. The BJP formed its first ever government in West Bengal by ousting the Trinamool Congress from power.
Of the 293 declared seats, the BJP won 207 while the Trinamool Congress got 80. The Congress contested all 293 seats alone in the state and won two. Through its central headquarters and state unit, the party spent a total of Rs 42.08 crore in Bengal, including Rs 12.96 crore on general campaigning and Rs 29.12 crore on candidates and related expenses. The CPI(M), which ruled Bengal for several decades before losing power in 2011, contested 197 seats and won only one.
The picture in Kerala was different. The Congress-led alliance there ousted the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front from power. The Congress won 63 seats, the CPI(M) got 26, and the BJP won three. Through its headquarters and state unit, the Congress spent Rs 105.34 crore in Kerala, more than the BJP's Rs 82.67 crore.
The Congress's Kerala spending included Rs 71.30 crore on general campaigning and Rs 34.05 crore on candidates and related expenses. The BJP spent Rs 54.93 crore on general campaigning and Rs 27.74 crore on candidates in Kerala. The CPI(M)'s state unit in Kerala reported total spending of Rs 28.60 crore, including Rs 26.30 crore on general campaigning and Rs 2.31 crore on candidates.
Across all five states, the Congress spent Rs 143 crore on campaigning and Rs 105.55 crore on candidates, taking its total spending to Rs 248.55 crore. The CPI(M)'s total spending stood at Rs 39.04 crore. Besides Bengal and Kerala, the BJP spent Rs 96.27 crore in Assam, Rs 51.56 crore in Tamil Nadu and Rs 11.90 crore in Puducherry.
