Congress declares highest total income at Rs 1,687 cr

Hyderabad: Indian National Congress topped the chart of political parties in India by declaring the highest total income at Rs 1,687.12 crore, followed by the BJP, for the period 2010-11 to 2013-14, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The total income of national parties, excluding BJP, INC and the Nationalist Congress Party for 2014-15, collectively for five years (2010-11 to 2014-15), from all over India was Rs 4,261.23 crore. Despite lack of information for 2014-15, Congress declared the highest total income from all over India of Rs 1,687.12 crore followed by BJP with Rs 1,475.44 crore, the NGO said.

The report titled 'Analysis of Income Tax Returns and Donations received by National and Regional parties of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for FY 2010-11 to 2014-15 was prepared by the 'Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Election Watch' and ADR. The report stated that CPM collected Rs 552.30 crore, Bahujan Samajwadi Party Rs 391.21 crore and CPI Rs 9.02 crore. Income for INC from sale of coupons/publication amounted to Rs 1,311.96 crore (77.7 per cent of total income), stated the report released at a press conference by the office-bearers of both the bodies.

Voluntary contributions/donations is the most common and the highest source of income for most of the national and regional political parties. It forms 46.49 per cent (Rs 2039.647 crore) of the total income of all political parties together, it said. BJP has received 87.93 per cent income (Rs 1,297.37 crore) from voluntary contributions while Congress received 10.93 per cent (Rs 184.408 crore) income from donations.

According to its IT returns, 54.39 per cent (Rs 212.78 crore) of the total income of BSP was through voluntary contributions, but the party declared that it never received any amount above Rs 20,000 as donations, the report claimed. Sources for the data used in the report are audited accounts contribution statements submitted by the political parties to the Income Tax Department and Election Commission of India.

ADR recommended that national and regional political parties must provide all information of their finances under RTI. Besides, ECI should impose rules that no part of the form 24A submitted by political parties providing details of donations above Rs 20,000 should be left blank and full details of donors should be made available for public scrutiny under the RTI.

It further recommended that any party which does not submit its donation statement to the ECI on or before the due date, their income should not be tax exempted and defaulting parties should be derecognised.

PTI