Over 55% donations to regional parties from ‘unknown’ sources: ADR report

ADR found the total income of 23 regional parties amounted to ₹885.956 crores including ₹481.276 crores, or 54.32% from unknown sources

Twenty-five regional parties collected ₹445.774 crores or 55.50% of their total income from unknown sources in the 2019-20 fiscal, according to an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report.

Image for representation. (File photo)

In its report for 2018-19 fiscal, ADR found the total income of 23 regional parties amounted to ₹885.956 crores including ₹481.276 crores, or 54.32% from unknown sources. There has been a 1.18% increase in income from unknown sources.

“At present, political parties are not required to reveal the name of individuals or organizations giving less than Rs. 20,000. As a result, a substantial amount of funds cannot be traced and are from ‘unknown’ sources,” the NGO said in the fresh report.

ADR found Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi declared ₹89.158 crores income from unknown sources, the highest among regional parties in 2019-20. Similarly, Telugu Desam Party, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, Biju Janata Dal, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam declared ₹81.694 crores, ₹74.75 crores, ₹50.58 crores, and Rs. 45.50 crores.

The report said income contribution reports of the Aam Aadmi Party, Indian Union Muslim League, and Lok Jansakhti Party are available but their donations data show discrepancies. ADR found that the total declared contributions of the three parties are less than the total donation declared in their reports by ₹6.105 crores, ₹31.20 lakhs, and ₹4.16 lakhs. “This is an example of disregard of the parties towards the guidelines formulated for transparency and disclosure requirements.”