Congress spent more than 3 times what AAP did in Delhi assembly polls

The figures include both general party propaganda - such as media advertisements and campaign materials - and expenses by individual candidates

The Congress spent over three times more than the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2025 Delhi elections but failed to win a single seat, according to expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Congress’s total expenditure stood at ₹46.18 crore compared to AAP’s ₹14.51 crore. (HT file photo)

The expenditure statements were uploaded on the ECI website on Wednesday.

Both Congress and AAP fielded 70 candidates with the latter managing to win 22 seats. Congress, meanwhile, drew a blank for the third time, despite an increase in the vote share.

Congress’s total expenditure stood at ₹46.18 crore compared to AAP’s ₹14.51 crore.

The figures include both general party propaganda - such as media advertisements and campaign materials - and expenses by individual candidates.

The 2025 Delhi elections were conducted on February 5, and the results were declared on February 8. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 48 seats, returning to power in the national capital after 27 years. AAP won 22 seats, with many of its prominent leaders, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, losing their seats.

The Congress party spent close to ₹18 crore on media advertisements, including bulk SMS campaigns. Interestingly, it paid ₹2.68 crore for print advertisements to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald newspaper—currently under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The party also spent ₹60.49 lakh on voice broadcasts and bulk SMSes during the campaign. Additionally, Congress spent nearly ₹18 crore on publicity materials such as posters, badges, hoardings, flags, and more.

Regarding candidate-related expenditure, the Congress party spent ₹6.05 crore, including ₹10.75 lakh for publishing information about the criminal antecedents of its candidates in newspapers.

On the other hand, the AAP spent ₹2.23 crore as payments to 23 of its candidates, of whom 15 lost. This included former ministers Satyendra Jain and Manish Sisodia, who reported expenditures of ₹23 lakh and ₹20 lakh, respectively. ₹10 lakh was spent on Kejriwal while ₹24.75 lakh was spent on Gopal Rai.

AAP also spent ₹16 lakh publishing the criminal antecedents of its candidates in newspapers.

AAP’s total “propaganda expenses”-- which included media and publicity-- amounted to ₹12.1 crore.