The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had total funds of ₹738 crore in 2018-2019, an increase of about ₹22 crore from the previous financial year, with its income increasing by ₹18 crore, according to the annual accounts submitted by the party to the Election Commission.
The BSP’s report, published by the EC on Wednesday, showed that the party’s income increased to ₹69.79 crore from ₹51.69 crore, with the income from “fees and subscriptions” going up by over three times from ₹8.73 crore to ₹30.92 crore. The party added ₹98.24 lakh in “murals and statues” to its immovable assets in the financial year, the accounts report showed.
Election expenditure
In 2018-2019, an election year, the BSP’s election expenditure went up from ₹1.46 crore to ₹33.11 crore, according to the report. Of the total expenditure on elections, the party spent ₹16.13 lakh on printed materials, ₹18.75 lakh on “making and distributing audio CDs” and ₹3.76 crore on banners and flags. The party spent ₹28 crore on “aircraft/helicopters,” ₹83.25 lakh on public meetings and ₹14.15 lakh on boarding/lodging. The 2019 Lok Sabha election expenditure was ₹14.26 crore, according to the report.
The BSP also declared “loans and advances” from Aerotech Aviation India Pvt. Ltd., a helicopter service, of ₹30 crore and Taj Mahal Hotel of ₹22,992, among others. At the end of the year, the party had a ₹2.09 crore surplus that was carried over to the general fund, the report showed.
Reduction in income
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s annual account reportshowed the party had a “general fund” of ₹497 crore in 2018-2019, while its income reduced slightly from ₹104.84 crore in 2017-2018 to ₹100.96 crore in 2018-2019. The CPI(M)’s income from fees and subscriptions reduced from ₹42.33 crore to ₹39.60 crore.
