BJP Spends Most Election Funds in West Bengal
The BJP spent ₹286.99 crore on the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, according to expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission. The amount was higher than the ₹248.55 crore reported by the Congress for elections held across four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The BJP reported a total expenditure of ₹529.38 crore across the five elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. West Bengal alone accounted for more than half of this amount.
In West Bengal, the BJP spent ₹217.16 crore on general campaigning and another ₹69.83 crore on candidates and related expenses. The party won 207 of the 293 seats for which results were declared and formed the government in the state.
The Congress reported spending ₹42.08 crore in West Bengal through its central headquarters and state unit. Of this, ₹12.96 crore was spent on general campaigning, while ₹29.12 crore went towards candidates and related expenses. The Congress won two seats in the state.
The CPI(M), which governed West Bengal for several decades before losing power in 2011, reported expenditure of ₹8.23 crore in the state. The party contested 197 seats and won one seat. The expenditure statement of the Trinamool Congress has not yet been made public, according to the reports.
The expenditure figures were different in Kerala. The Congress reported spending ₹105.34 crore, while the BJP reported expenditure of ₹82.67 crore. The Congress spent ₹71.30 crore on general campaigning and ₹34.05 crore on candidates and related expenses. The BJP spent ₹54.93 crore on general campaigning and ₹27.74 crore on candidates.
Across all five elections, the Congress reported total expenditure of ₹248.55 crore. Of this, ₹143 crore was spent on general campaigning and ₹105.55 crore on candidates and related expenses.
The BJP also reported spending ₹96.27 crore in Assam, ₹51.56 crore in Tamil Nadu and ₹11.90 crore in Puducherry, in addition to its expenditure in West Bengal and Kerala.
The expenditure statements provide a picture of how the two national parties reported their spending during the 2026 Assembly election cycle. Political parties are required to submit detailed accounts of election-related expenses, including campaign activities and candidate-related spending, to the Election Commission.