Revealed: where political parties get money from | Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress, TMC, AAP income sources

Rs 8 lakhs spent every day - the recent rebellion in Shiv Sena once again highlighted how political parties splurge money in their power games.

But where does this money come from? What's the income, and what are its sources? Let's take a look at the finances of political parties.

In financial year 2021-21, the Bharatiya Janata Party's income was over Rs 752 crore. The party spent Rs 620 crore. The Shiv Sena, currently going through a tug-of-war, got Rs 13 crore, and spent more than half - Rs 7 crore.

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Meanwhile, the Congress got Rs 285 crore in 2021-21, and spent Rs 209 crore. The Trinamool Congress made Rs 74 crore, but its expenditure was almost double at Rs 132 crore in 2020-21. The Nationalist Congress Party's income was Rs 34 crore, and it spent Rs 12 crore.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, leading the ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu, got Rs 149 crore, and spent Rs 218 crore in 2020-21. The Aam Aadmi Party, ruling Delhi and Punjab, had an income of Rs 17 crore, and expenditure of Rs 15 crore, in 2020-21.

The sources of income of political parties are varied. Here's a look at the major sources, as per an ADR report.

In 2020-21, the BJP got Rs 577 crore in voluntary contributions, Rs 168 crore as interest from banks, Rs 5 crore in fees and subscriptions, and half a crore Rupees from other sources.

The Shiv Sena got Rs 12 crore as interest on FD, Rs 0.8 crore as fees and subscriptions, Rs 0.7 crore from grants and donations, and Rs 10 lakhs from other sources.

The Congress got Rs 156 crore by issuing coupons, Rs 95 crore as grants and donations, Rs 20 crore as fees and subscriptions, and Rs 12 crore from other sources. The Trinamool Congress got Rs 42 crore from donations and contributions, Rs 18 crore as fees and subscriptions, Rs 3 crore from other sources, and Rs 10 crore was sundry balance written off.

The NCP got Rs 26 crore from grants and donations, Rs 8 crore from coupon and publication sale, Rs 0.3 crore as interest on FDs, and Rs 7 lakh from other sources.

The DMK got Rs 113 crore from grants and donations, Rs 23 crore as fees and subscriptions, Rs 12 crore as interest on bank deposits, and Rs 40 lakhs from other sources. The Aam Aadmi Party got Rs 16 crore from donations, Rs 0.8 crore as interest income, and Rs 0.1 crore as fees and subscriptions.

Political funding is a controversial issue in India. Activists have long pressed for reform in the area, seeking greater transparency.

In recent years, electoral bonds have become a major bone of contention. Critics have claimed that electoral bonds allow donors to remain anonymous, making the use of black money and money laundering easier. In response, the Narendra Modi government has claimed that electoral bonds actually enhance transparency, as identity of the donor is available in bank records.

With hundreds of crores of rupees going to political parties every year, greater scrutiny of the source of this big money will only strengthen Indian democracy.