India’s political funding patterns for the financial year 2024–25 reveal far more than a routine accounting exercise. The latest data submitted by political parties to the Election Commission of India points to a widening asymmetry in resource mobilisation between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its principal national rival, the Indian National Congress, even as several regional parties display renewed fundraising strength. Together, these trends underscore a changing political economy of elections, where access to resources increasingly mirrors organisational reach, political momentum, and perceived proximity to power.
The BJP’s financial position strengthened dramatically during the period under review. Party contributions rose from Rs 3,967 crore in 2023–24 to Rs 6,088 crore in 2024–25, an increase of nearly one-and-a-half times within a single year. This sharp rise is not merely a reflection of electoral success but also of the party’s entrenched dominance across institutions of governance. For donors—corporate entities, high-net-worth individuals, and political supporters alike—the BJP continues to be seen as a stable, long-term stakeholder in national power, encouraging sustained and higher-value contributions.
In contrast, the Congress faced a steep and politically significant decline in donations. Its contributions fell by more than 50 percent, dropping from Rs 1,129 crore in 2023–24 to Rs 522 crore in 2024–25. This contraction reflects the party’s ongoing struggle to convert political presence into financial confidence. Despite remaining the largest opposition party in Parliament and leading the INDIA bloc, the Congress appears to be grappling with donor hesitation, driven by uncertainty about its electoral prospects, internal coherence, and capacity to regain national power in the near term.
The divergent trajectories of the BJP and the Congress highlight a structural reality of Indian politics: funding increasingly follows power, not ideology. Donors, particularly large contributors, tend to align their financial backing with parties that demonstrate administrative control, policy influence, and electoral durability. In this environment, opposition parties face a systemic disadvantage, making fundraising both a political and organisational challenge.
Among the BJP’s allies, the picture is mixed. The Telugu Desam Party, a key National Democratic Alliance partner, saw its donations decline from Rs 100.08 crore in 2023–24 to Rs 83.03 crore in 2024–25. This drop may reflect its regional limitations and the transitional phase of its political positioning following electoral realignments in Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, Janata Dal (United) registered a striking increase in contributions, with donations rising more than tenfold from Rs 1.81 crore to Rs 18.69 crore over the same period. This surge suggests renewed donor confidence in the party’s relevance within coalition politics, particularly in Bihar, where shifting alliances often reshape political equations.
While national parties dominate the funding narrative, the most notable development lies in the growing financial muscle of several regional parties within the Opposition INDIA bloc. The Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M), and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha all reported substantial increases in donations, ranging from two-fold to four-fold growth.
The Trinamool Congress recorded a near threefold rise, with contributions increasing from Rs 64.24 crore in 2023–24 to Rs 185 crore in 2024–25. This growth reflects the party’s firm grip on power in West Bengal and its expanding national ambitions. Similarly, the DMK emerged as one of the biggest gainers, with donations jumping four times—from Rs 81.56 crore to Rs 365 crore—underscoring the advantages enjoyed by strong regional parties that command stable governments and clear political narratives.
The Samajwadi Party, despite remaining a relatively low fundraiser among major parties, doubled its contributions from Rs 46 lakh to Rs 93 lakh. While modest in absolute terms, this increase signals incremental consolidation of support in Uttar Pradesh, where political competition remains intense. The CPI(M) and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha also saw notable gains, with donations doubling and tripling respectively, pointing to a revival of grassroots and ideological backing in select regions.
The broader implication of these figures is that India’s political funding ecosystem is becoming increasingly polarised. On one end stands the BJP, commanding overwhelming financial dominance at the national level; on the other are regional parties that, while financially stronger within their states, remain limited in their national fundraising reach. The Congress, positioned between these two poles, appears caught in a resource squeeze that could have long-term consequences for its organisational capacity, campaign reach, and electoral competitiveness.
Financial strength directly influences electoral preparedness—shaping campaign infrastructure, digital outreach, ground mobilisation, and media visibility. As elections grow more resource-intensive, disparities in funding risk translating into asymmetries in political messaging and voter engagement. At the same time, the rise of well-funded regional parties suggests that Indian politics is not moving toward a simple two-party binary but toward a complex landscape where power and resources are unevenly distributed across national and state-level actors.
Ultimately, the 2024–25 donation data reflects the deeper currents of India’s political reality: confidence follows control, resources follow relevance, and money remains a decisive, if often understated, factor in shaping democratic competition. How opposition parties respond to this financial imbalance may well determine the contours of electoral politics in the years ahead.
