Party Funding Highlights in Recent Lok Sabha Elections

The Trinamool Congress allocated Rs 75 lakh each to 48 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, spending a total of Rs 3.60 crore. The party's expenditure was submitted to the Election Commission shortly after results. Other parties like AAP and AIMIM also disclosed their funding details.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) allocated Rs 75 lakh each to 48 candidates, including senior leaders, for the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. The party stated it spent a total of Rs 3.60 crore in its expenditure report submitted to the Election Commission on June 7, just two days after the results were announced.

While the TMC fielded candidates primarily in West Bengal, some also contested in Assam and Meghalaya. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reported giving over Rs 60 lakh to three of its candidates, with Chaitarbhai Vasava from Gujarat receiving nearly half of this amount. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-Ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) contributed Rs 52 lakh to its president, Asaduddin Owaisi, in two instalments.

Although there is a spending cap for individual candidates, political parties face no such limits. In January 2022, the government increased the expenditure limit for Lok Sabha candidates to Rs 95 lakh for larger states and Rs 75 lakh for smaller states, following Election Commission recommendations.

(With inputs from agencies.)