The BJP accounted for over 45% of the total election expenditure declared by 22 political parties during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the simultaneous assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
However, the actual figure could be higher due to missing or illegible data in BJP’s financial reports, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign travel expenses were not included, as they were presumed to have been borne by the Central Government.
The Congress, despite being the primary opposition, spent nearly 40% less than the BJP, while the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ranked third, fourth, and fifth in terms of campaign expenditure.
A report by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), which analysed the election expenditure statements submitted to the Election Commission of India, found that these 22 political parties collectively spent Rs 3,861.57 crores during the campaign period.
The BJP emerged as the highest spender, with a declared election expenditure of Rs 1,737.68 crores, of which Rs 41.01 crores was allocated to the four assembly elections while the remainder was spent on the Lok Sabha campaign. In contrast, the Congress incurred Rs 686.19 crores, though its accounts did not provide a separate breakdown for parliamentary and state elections, as the party submitted a consolidated financial statement.
The BJD, which contested both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha, ranked third in spending, with Rs 415.21 crores. The YSRCP, which lost power in Andhra Pradesh, followed with Rs 328.63 crores, while the DMK incurred Rs 161.07 crores in campaign expenses. The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) recorded an expenditure of Rs 147.68 crores, placing it sixth among the highest spenders.
Media advertisements formed the largest share of campaign expenses, with political parties collectively spending Rs 992.48 crores on advertisements across print and electronic media, including cable TV, satellite channels, websites, and bulk SMS services. The BJP dominated this category, reporting Rs 684.57 crores in media advertisement spending.
The YSRCP ranked second, declaring Rs 87.36 crore, while the DMK, BJD, and TMC followed with Rs 73.75 crore, Rs 47.14 crore, and Rs 36.30 crore, respectively. The Congress, despite being the second-highest overall spender, reported only Rs 12.09 crores in media advertisements.
However, the actual figures could be higher, as some parts of the BJP’s expenditure report were illegible due to pixelation in the scanned copies uploaded on the Election Commission’s website.
In social media spending, the BJD led with Rs 83.03 crores allocated to digital campaigns. The DMK followed with Rs 50.26 crore, while the Congress spent Rs 47.69 crore. The JD(U) and BJP ranked fourth and fifth, spending Rs 7.43 crores and Rs 6.94 crores, respectively, indicating that the BJP prioritised traditional media over digital platforms.
The second-largest expenditure category was travel for star campaigners and party leaders. The BJP spent at least Rs 389.24 crores on travel for its key campaigners and an additional Rs 12.26 crores on other party leaders, though missing data from some states suggests that actual spending could be higher.
The YSRCP followed with Rs 241.42 crore, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) recorded Rs 58.61 crore in travel expenses. The TMC and BJD reported Rs 46.25 crores and Rs 25.46 crores, respectively.