The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a total of Rs 6,654.93 crore in donations during the 2024–25 financial year, marking a sharp 68 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The latest figures were submitted by the party to the Election Commission of India and are now available on the Commission’s official website.
The financial year was politically significant, as it coincided with the Lok Sabha elections along with Assembly elections in several states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Delhi.
The BJP submitted its contribution report on December 8, two days before the prescribed deadline. As per election rules, the report lists only donations above Rs 20,000, received between April 1, 2024 and March 30, 2025.
In the previous financial year, the party had reported donations worth Rs 3,967 crore, making the latest figures the highest donation receipts recorded by the BJP in the last five years.
Electoral trusts and corporate donors lead BJP funding
A major portion of the BJP’s donations came through electoral trusts, which together accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the total contributions. The Prudent Electoral Trust emerged as the biggest donor, contributing Rs 2,180 crore. The Progressive Electoral Trust donated Rs 757 crore, while the New Democratic Electoral Trust contributed Rs 150 crore. Donations from other electoral trusts collectively stood at Rs 3,112.5 crore.
Apart from trusts, several large corporate houses and business groups made substantial contributions. Serum Institute of India donated Rs 100 crore, followed by Rungta Sons Private Limited with Rs 95 crore, Vedanta with Rs 67 crore, and Macrotech Developers (Lodha Group) with Rs 65 crore. Three Bajaj Group companies together donated Rs 65 crore, while Derive Investments contributed Rs 50 crore.
Other notable donors included ITC Limited (Rs 35 crore), Hero Group (Rs 23.65 crore), Dilip Buildcon Group (Rs 29 crore), Kalyan Jewellers (Rs 15.1 crore) and Malabar Gold (Rs 10 crore). Zerodha’s investment firm, promoted by Nikhil Kamath, donated Rs 1.5 crore.
Donations by leaders and contrast with other parties
Several BJP leaders also made personal contributions, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and other party representatives.
Congress Saw Sharp Decline In Donations
In contrast, most opposition parties reported a decline in donations. The Congress received Rs 522.13 crore, a fall of around 43 per cent. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) saw donations drop sharply to Rs 184.08 crore, while the BRS reported just Rs 15.09 crore. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was one of the few parties to register growth, collecting Rs 39.2 crore.
The 2024–25 financial year is also notable as the first year without electoral bonds, following the Supreme Court’s decision in February 2024 to strike down the scheme as unconstitutional. Under the now-scrapped system, political parties had received over Rs 16,000 crore in anonymous donations, with the BJP being the biggest beneficiary.
