BJP SPENT ₹286.99 CRORE ON BENGAL POLLS, EXCEEDING CONGRESS EXPENDITURE ACROSS FIVE STATES

September 24, 2026 

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent ₹286.99 crore on the West Bengal Assembly elections, exceeding the ₹248.55 crore spent by the Congress across four states and one Union territory that held elections earlier this year, according to expenditure statements submitted to the Election Commission.

The BJP reported total expenditure of ₹529.38 crore across elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Of its Bengal expenditure, ₹217.16 crore was allocated to general campaigning, while ₹69.83 crore was spent on candidates and related activities.

The Congress reported spending ₹248.55 crore across the five electoral exercises. In West Bengal, the party spent ₹42.08 crore, including ₹12.96 crore on general campaigning and ₹29.12 crore on candidates and related expenses.

The expenditure disclosures provide details of the parties’ reported election spending, including campaign activities and candidate-related expenses. The Trinamool Congress’s expenditure statement for West Bengal had not been made public at the time of the report.