BJP accounts for more than half of total income declared by 8 national parties in FY 2021-22: ADR
New Delhi, Mar 1: Eight recognised national parties have declared a total income of Rs 3289.34 crore collected from all over India in the financial year 2021-22, with the BJP accounting for more than half of it, according to a prominent NGO working for electoral reforms.
The Trinamool Congress declared the second highest income of Rs 545.745 crore, which forms 16.59 per cent of the total income of the eight national parties, the Association for Democratic Reforms said on Wednesday, citing documents shared by parties with the Election Commission.
The BJP declared a total income of Rs 1917.12 crore during 2021-22 and spent Rs 854.467 crore or 44.57 per cent of it. The Congress' total income was Rs 541.275 crore, while it spent Rs 400.414 crore or 73.98 per cent of its income.
The eight parties given national status by the Election Commission include Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and National People's Party (NPEP).
The TMC spent Rs 268.337 crore which was 49.17 per cent of its total income, the ADR said.
Four out of the eight national parties - BJP, TMC, Congress and NCP - collected 55.09 per cent or Rs 1811.9425 crore of their total income from donations through electoral bonds for FY 2021-22.
The BJP received donations through electoral bonds worth Rs 1033.70 crore, TMC Rs 528.143 crore, Congress Rs 236.0995 crore and NCP Rs 14 crore.
According to the data shared by SBI in response to ADR'sI application, electoral bonds worth Rs 2673.0525 crore were redeemed by parties in FY 2021-22 of which 67.79 per cent of this has been redeemed by national parties.
"Given the anonymity provided to donors by the scheme, it is seen that electoral bonds emerged as the most popular mode of donations to national political parties for FY 2020-21 as well," the ADR said.
Between FY 2020-21 and 2021-22, the income of BJP increased by 154.82 per cent or Rs 1164.783 crore from Rs 752.337 crore in FY 2020-21 to Rs 1917.12 crore in 2021-22.
The income of TMC increased by 633.36 per cent (Rs 471.328 crore) from Rs 74.417 crore during FY 2020-21 to Rs 545.745 crore during FY 2021-22.
The Congress' income increased by 89.41 per cent or Rs 255.51 crore from Rs 285.765 crore during FY 2020-21 to Rs 541.275 crore during FY 2021-22, it said.
National parties that received the highest income from donations or contributions include BJP - Rs 1775.43 crore, TMC - Rs 582.523 crore, Congress Rs 347.996 crore, NCP Rs 71.956 crore, CPI(M) Rs 65.878 crore, and NPEP Rs 43 lakh.
The due date for submission of annual audited accounts for the parties to the EC was October 31, 2022.
"Only BSP and NPEP submitted their audit reports on time while NCP, AITC, CPI(M), CPI, BJP, INC and submitted after a delay of 2 days, 2 days, 3 days, 21 days, 53 days and 55 days respectively," it said.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
