Donations to the Bharatiya Janata Party increased by over 87% from 2022-’23 to 2023-’24, even as the share of electoral bonds in total contributions to the party declined to less than half, showed its audit report to the Election Commission.

The BJP’s annual audit report for 2023-’24 showed that contributions to the party rose to Rs 3,967.14 crore in 2023-2024 from Rs 2,120.06 crore in 2022-2023.

Electoral bonds were paper instruments that anyone could buy from the State Bank of India and give to a political party, which could redeem them for money.

In the previous financial year, the Hindutva party received Rs 1,685.62 crore, or 42.4% of its total contributions, through electoral bonds. In comparison, in 2022-’23, it received Rs 1,294.14 crore, or 61% of its total donations, through the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme.

Donations to the Congress increased by 320% from 2022-’23 to 2023-’24 ahead of the Lok Sabha election, its audit report showed. The party received contributions of Rs 1,129.66 crore in 2023-’24 and Rs 268.62 crore in 2022-’23, The Indian Express reported.

Of these, electoral bonds accounted for 63.6% in 2022-’23 and 73.3% in 2023-’24 .

In February, the Supreme Court verdict struck down the electoral bond scheme as unconstitutional saying it could foster quid pro quo relationships between donors and political parties. Due to this, the financial year 2023-’24 was the last year in which parties could take donations through electoral bonds.

The scheme was introduced by the BJP-led Union government in 2018. The entire process was anonymous to the public since buyers were not required to declare their purchase of these interest-free bonds and political parties did not need to show the source of the money, before the scheme was struck down. However, the Centre could access information about these donors as it controls the State Bank of India.

BJP dominates richest candidates’ list in Delhi polls

A report by the non-governmental organisation Association for Democratic Reforms showed that out of the ten wealthiest candidates in the Delhi Assembly election, five are from the BJP. Three of them are from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, while two are from the Congress.

Karnail Singh, the BJP's candidate from the Shakur Basti seat, is the wealthiest among the 699 candidates contesting, with assets totalling Rs 259 crore.

The report showed that five candidates have assets exceeding Rs 100 crore.

Elections to Delhi’s 70-member Assembly will be held on February 5, with the counting of votes on February 8.