BJP reports Rs 529 crore poll spend, over half of it in West Bengal
BJP's expenditure reports for the Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal Assembly polls put central party spending at Rs 529.38 crore, with Rs 286 crore going to Bengal.
The BJP's central office spent Rs 529.38 crore contesting the five Assembly elections held earlier this year, with West Bengal accounting for more than half of the total, the party's expenditure reports to the Election Commission show.
Spending in Bengal alone came to Rs 286 crore. Of that, Rs 217.16 crore went towards the general party campaign, while Rs 69.83 crore was booked as expenditure on candidates, including Rs 58.80 crore handed directly to them.
The remaining outlay was spread across the other four states. Assam saw the second-highest figure at Rs 96.26 crore, followed by Kerala at Rs 82.67 crore, Tamil Nadu at Rs 51.56 crore and Puducherry at Rs 11.89 crore.
The filings also set out the party's finances over the election period. Receipts during the cycle totalled Rs 1,494 crore, and the BJP closed with a balance of Rs 7,689.06 crore held as bank balance and cash in hand.
Candidate spending at the constituency level is capped by law, but there is no ceiling on what a political party may spend on a campaign. Parties are required to file detailed accounts after each election, covering travel, rallies, advertisements and campaign material.