BJP spent more on Bengal polls than Cong’s total expenditure in 4 states, 1 UT

The Bharatiya Janata Party spent Rs 286.9 crore on the West Bengal Assembly elections, exceeding the Rs 248.5 crore spent by the Congress across all five states and one Union Territory that went to the polls in 2026, according to expenditure statements submitted to the Election Commission.

The BJP’s total expenditure for the elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry stood at Rs 529.3 crore. More than half of the party’s overall spending was allocated to its campaign in West Bengal, the data showed.

The BJP secured 207 of the 294 seats in the West Bengal Assembly, bringing an end to the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule. The expenditure statement of the Trinamool Congress has not yet been made public, Scroll.in reported.

The Congress spent Rs 42 crore on its campaign in West Bengal, where it won two seats.

While individual candidates are subject to prescribed expenditure limits during elections, political parties are not bound by an overall spending cap. Following each election, parties are required to submit detailed expenditure statements to the Election Commission, covering expenses such as travel, rallies, advertising and campaign materials.