In 2024-25, one political party in India received more money than all others combined, by a massive margin.

That party – no surprises here – was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to disclosures filed with the Election Commission of India, the BJP received over Rs 6,000 crore in political donations in a single financial year.

That figure is not just significant. It is highly uneven.

Of the roughly Rs 7,000 crore donated to major national and regional parties combined, the BJP alone captured about 85 percent. The Indian National Congress (INC), the principal Opposition party, received just over Rs 520 crore.

What is more concerning is who gave the BJP the money, including companies under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), those that landed massive government projects, and those that received hefty subsidies.  

This is a story about an increase in the concentration of political funding. And a story about quid pro quo and its influence on India’s democracy.

Let me explain.

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