Congress outspent AAP in Delhi Assembly polls: A look at the expenses the parties incurred
Bulk of expenditure on “general party propaganda”, which includes media ads, Google ads, and phone calls
AAP's total expenditure on candidates was Rs 2.39 crore. Overall, the party received Rs 16.09 crore during the election period and had a closing bank balance of Rs 9.96 crore. (Above) Party chief Arvind Kejriwal with former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia at a party event in Delhi. (Credit:Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) 
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spent 31% less on the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections compared to the 2020 elections in the national capital, while the Congress’s expenditure went up 67% as per the election expenditure reports of the two parties.
The reports, published by the Election Commission this week, show that the AAP, which failed to win a third straight term in power, spent Rs 14.51 crore, down from the Rs 21.06 crore it declared in 2020. The Assembly elections ended up as a massive setback for the AAP, with the BJP securing 48 of the 70 seats and reducing it to 22. The Congress failed to open its account for the third consecutive election in Delhi.
As per the AAP’s expenditure report, Rs 12.12 crore was spent on “general party propaganda”, of which Rs 5 crore was spent on media advertisements, phone calls, bulk SMS services, and Google ads. The total expenditure on candidates was Rs 2.39 crore. Overall, during the election period, the party received Rs 16.09 crore and had a closing bank balance of Rs 9.96 crore.
The Congress declared Rs 46.18 crore expenditure this time. In 2020, it had said it spent Rs 27.68 crore on the Assembly polls.
The Congress spent Rs 40.13 crore on “general party propaganda” and Rs 6.05 crore on candidates, including expenses on social media campaigns. The party spent Rs 17.78 crore on advertisements, including Rs 2.28 crore for print ads to Associated Journals Ltd, which publishes The National Herald owned by the Gandhi family. The party’s receipts during the election period stood at Rs 64.31 crore and its closing balance was Rs 53.66 crore.
Parties are required to submit their election expenditure reports to the EC after every election. The EC has not yet published the BJP’s Delhi polls expenditure report in full. However, it has published a single report showing the amount spent by individual parties on candidates. In the case of the BJP, the party gave Rs 25 lakh each to 68 candidates, or Rs 17 crore in total.
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