Among the five top-earning regional parties, the biggest drop in income was shown by the TDP, whose Rs 19.40 crore in 2017-18 was about one-fourth of its Rs 72.92 crore in 2016-17. (Illustration by Manali Ghosh) Among the five top-earning regional parties, the biggest drop in income was shown by the TDP, whose Rs 19.40 crore in 2017-18 was about one-fourth of its Rs 72.92 crore in 2016-17. (Illustration by Manali Ghosh)

Regional parties earned 42% less in 2017-18 than in the previous year, according to an analysis of their income-tax returns by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

From Rs 409.64 crore in 2016-17, the total income of 34 regional parties dropped to Rs 236.86 crore in 2017-18.

India has 48 regional parties, of which 11 have not submitted their returns for 2017-18, and three others did not file for 2016-17. When the last three are counted, the income of 37 parties adds up to Rs 237.27 crore in 2017-18.

Among the five top-earning regional parties, the biggest drop in income was shown by the TDP, whose Rs 19.40 crore in 2017-18 was about one-fourth of its Rs 72.92 crore in 2016-17.

The Samajwadi Party, which had the highest income in both years, earned 43% less in 2017-18 than in the previous year.

In contrast, the DMK’s income multiplied nine times to reach Rs 35.75 crore in 2017-18, second only to SP.

The SP (Rs 47.19 crore) and the DMK (Rs 35.75 crore) together earned over one-third of the total income of the 37 parties in 2017-18. They also accounted for over a third of their total expenditure in 2017-18 (Rs 170.45 crore), with the SP spending Rs 34.54 crore and the DMK Rs 27.47 crore.

The largest source of income was membership fees (Rs 86.60 crore or 36.5%) followed by voluntary contributions (Rs 77.30 crore or 32.6%) that included donations and sale of electoral bonds. Bank interest fetched Rs 38.34 crore or 22%.

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