Modi says Opposition has money power, but BJP earned double that of Congress since 2013

File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Silvasa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli | PTI

Between 2013 and 2018, BJP’s total declared income was Rs 4,276 crore. Comparatively, the Congress reported an income of Rs 1,877 crore.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday took a dig at the Opposition alliance parties saying they have “money power” while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has “people’s power”.

But the numbers tell a different story.

Between 2013 and 2018, the BJP’s total declared income was Rs 4,276 crore. Compare this to the shrinking income of its principal opposition party, the Congress — Rs 1,877 crore.

When compared to other opposition parties, the BJP’s annual income — Rs 1,027 crore — in 2017-18 was far greater than the Communist Party of India Marxist (Rs 105 crore), Bahujan Samaj Party (Rs 52 crore), Nationalist Congress Party (Rs 8 crore), Trinamool Congress (Rs 5 crore) and Communist Party of India at (Rs 1.5 crore).

Addressing BJP’s booth-level workers from a few Lok Sabha constituencies via video-conferencing on the NaMo app, Modi called the opposition parties, including the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Trinamool Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), among others, negative, opportunistic and corrupt.

“The difference between them and us is clear — at one side it is money power, but we have people’s power… At one side are those who are trying to save their families or making them bigger,” Modi said. “We are into making this country.”

However, the massive income of his party, which has increased exponentially since it came to power in 2014, suggests otherwise.

Steady rise for one, decline for another

Sample this: While the BJP’s income increased from Rs 674 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,027 crore in 2017-18, the Congress’ income for the same period has steadily declined.

The party generated an income of Rs 598 crore in 2013-14, which fell to just Rs 199 crore in 2017-18.

All the figures have been sourced from reports of Association for Democratic Reforms.

Infographic: Arindam Mukherjee/ThePrint

Same story for donations

Donations to the BJP, of above Rs 20,000, have rapidly increased in the last few years, making it the most well-funded party in the country. These donations do not include other forms of income like money generated through rents, electoral bonds, etc.

In 2013-14, the BJP received Rs 171 crore as donations. By 2017-18, this number shot up to Rs 437 crore. For the Congress, the amount received in donations in 2013-14 was Rs 60 crore, but by 2017-18, it fell to Rs 26 crore.

Infographic: Arindam Mukherjee/ThePrint

The Congress did manage higher donations of Rs 141 crore in the fiscal 2015 but the figure took a massive hit in the following fiscal to fall to Rs 20 crore in 2015-16.

While the Congress received a fraction of the BJP’s donations in the fiscal 2017-18, its total income for the year was no better. The party’s income for 2017-18 was Rs 199 crore — collection by issue of coupons, totalling Rs 110 crore, accounted for the largest chunk of Congress’ income — while the BJP’s total income for the fiscal was Rs 1,027 crore.

The BJP bagged the lion’s share even through the controversial electoral bond scheme, through which it received 95 per cent of the total bonds issued by banks in 2017-18.