Parties got Rs 15K cr from unknown sources: ADR

New Delhi, August 26

Poll rights body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in its latest report said national parties collected Rs 15,077 crore from unknown sources between 2004 and 2021.

In the report, the ADR, which considered eight national and 27 regional parties for the analysis, said the total income of national and regional parties from unknown sources for 2020-21 stood at Rs 690.67 crore.

The national parties comprised the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPM, NCP, BSP and National People’s Party. The regional parties included AAP, AGP, AIADMK, AIFB, AIMIM, YSR-Congress among others. The ADR said its analysis was based on the parties’ income tax returns and donations statements filed with the Election Commission of India. It found that between 2004-05 and 2020-21 financial years, the national parties collected Rs 15,077.97 crore from unknown sources. “For FY 2020-21, eight national political parties and 27 regional parties have declared they received Rs 426.74 crore and Rs 263.928 crore from unknown sources,” the report said.