In a startling revelation, Association for Democratic Reforms has said that the BJP’s income in just one year increased by a whopping 44% to Rs 970 crore in 2014-15.

Of these, the BJP earned 583.33 crore from unknown sources meaning that the party had no records of where the funds came from.

Unknown sources, according to ADR, are income declared in the IT returns but without giving source of income from donations below Rs.20,000. Such unknown sources include ‘sale of coupons’, ‘relief fund’, ‘miscellaneous income’, ‘voluntary contributions’, ‘contribution from meetings/ morchas’ etc. The details of donors of such voluntary contributions are not available in the public domain.

The ADR report stated that the BJP had shown the “highest income amongst the National Parties with atotal income of Rs 970.43 crores during FY 2014-15. This forms 76.06% of the total income National Parties, together during FY 2014-15.”

Among the national party, CPI had declared the least income of Rs 1.84 crores, which formed a mere 0.14% of the total income of the National Parties during the FY 2014-15.

The ADR press release said, “BJP declared the maximum income from donations which amounted to Rs 940.39 crores followed by BSP with Rs 92.80 crores and NCP with Rs 38.82 crores. Grant/ donations/ contributions or funds collected by the parties was the top source of income of the 5 National Parties, forming 88.73% of their total income.”

The 5 National Parties (BJP, BSP, NCP, CPM and CPI) have declared a total income of Rs. 1,275.79 crores, collected from all over India. Congress has not submitted its audit report yet.

Full report on parties’ income can be read here