TMC declares Rs 528.14 cr from poll bonds, up from Rs 42 cr a year earlier

The audit report, which was published Friday by the EC on its website, showed that the party had a total income of Rs 545.74 crore in the last financial year.

In the previous financial year, 2020-2021, the TMC had declared Rs 42 crore in income from electoral bonds, the report showed.

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The All-India Trinamool Congress got more than 96% of its income in 2021-2022 from electoral bonds, according to the party’s annual audit report submitted to the Election Commission.

The audit report, which was published Friday by the EC on its website, showed that the party had a total income of Rs 545.74 crore in the last financial year. Out of that, Rs 528.14 crore came from electoral bonds and Rs 14.36 crore through fees/subscriptions/collections from primary members. The rest came from interest on bank deposits and donations from other party members.

In the previous financial year, 2020-2021, the TMC had declared Rs 42 crore in income from electoral bonds, the report showed.

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The TMC’s expenditure saw an increase from Rs 132.52 crore in 2020-2021 to Rs 268.33 crore in 2021-2022, the financial year in which the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections concluded. Just over Rs 135.12 crore of the spending went to “election expenditure” in 2021-2022.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) declared Rs 162.23 crore as its income in 2021-2022, according to its annual audit report that was also published Friday.

The CPI(M), which has moved the Supreme Court, challenging the electoral bond scheme, got its income from fees and subscriptions (Rs 47.78 crore), grants/donations/contribution (Rs 65.87 crore), sale of coupons and publications (Rs 10.70 crore) and “other income” (Rs 37.86 crore). The party’s income saw a decrease from the previous financial year when it declared Rs 171.04 crore.

The EC also published the Nationalist Congress Party’s annual audited accounts statement, which showed the party had an income of Rs 75.84 crore, of which Rs 14 crore were from electoral bonds.

Damini Nath

Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More