The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent ₹286.99 crore on the West Bengal Assembly elections held earlier this year, according to expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission.
The amount was higher than the ₹248.55 crore spent by the Congress across the five elections held in four states and a Union territory.
The BJP reported total expenditure of ₹529.38 crore across the five elections. In West Bengal, the party spent ₹217.16 crore on general campaigning and ₹69.83 crore on candidates and related expenses.
The Congress reported spending ₹42.08 crore in West Bengal through its central headquarters and state unit. This included ₹12.96 crore on general campaigning and ₹29.12 crore on candidates and related expenses.
The CPI(M)’s state unit reported expenditure of ₹8.23 crore, including spending on candidates. The Trinamool Congress’s expenditure statement has not been made public.
The BJP came to power in West Bengal for the first time, winning 207 of the 293 seats. The Trinamool Congress won 80 seats, while the CPI(M), which had ruled the state for decades, won one seat.
In Kerala, the Congress spent ₹105.34 crore through its headquarters and state unit. Of this, ₹71.30 crore went towards general campaigning and ₹34.05 crore towards candidates.
The BJP reported expenditure of ₹82.67 crore in Kerala, including ₹54.93 crore on general campaigning and ₹27.74 crore on candidates. The party for the first time won three seats in the state.
The CPI(M), which was voted out of power, reported expenditure of ₹28.60 crore through its state unit. This included ₹26.30 crore on general campaigning and ₹2.31 crore on candidates.
Across the five elections, the Congress reported total expenditure of ₹248.55 crore, including ₹143 crore on general campaigning and ₹105.55 crore on candidates.
