AAP sees 68% fall in donations, BJD declares zero contributions - The Indian Express

The Aam Aadmi Party declared donations of Rs 12.09 crore in 2025-26, showing a 68% decrease from the previous year, the party’s contribution report to the Election Commission reveals. The contributions to the Biju Janata Dal fell 100% in the same year, which was its first year out of power in Odisha after over two decades.

Of the AAP’s total declared contributions in 2025-26, two donors — the Prudent Electoral Trust and Trident Limited — accounted for nearly all of it, with Rs 5 crore each. Prudent Electoral Trust is one of the key donors to parties, which in past years received contributions from leading corporations, including Bharti, Tata Group, Jindal, etc.

The report of donations to Prudent for 2025-26 was not yet available. Trident Ltd was founded by Rajinder Gupta, the Punjab-based billionaire who was an AAP MP until switching to the BJP earlier this year. AAP also received Rs 5 lakh from Jain Siddiqui and Associates and Rs 20,010 from Brilliant Study Centre, with the remaining donors being individuals. Ashutosh Ranka, now a co-convener of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who had earlier served as an AAP spokesperson, made a donation of Rs 21,100 to the party.

In 2024-25, the AAP had declared Rs 38.10 crore in donations.

The total amount of donations to the party may be higher as parties are only required to submit details of all donations above Rs 20,000 each in their annual contribution reports to the EC.

The Biju Janata Dal, which was in power in Odisha for 24 continuous years until 2024, declared “nil” donations over Rs 20,000. Last year, it declared contributions of Rs 60 crore, with Vedanta Ltd the biggest donor with Rs 25 crore.

Meanwhile, BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad, which received total contributions of Rs 7.64 crore, got a substantial chunk of this, that is Rs 5.18 crore, from the BJP’s state unit in Assam. Apart from this, the party received contributions worth Rs 35 lakh from two companies in separate tranches of Rs 25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively.

On the other hand, key NDA ally Telugu Desam Party received Rs 58.25 crore in contributions. Of that, Rs 45 crore were received from the Prudent Electoral Trust based out of Delhi. Companies were the next largest donors to the TDP having contributed Rs 1.76 crore.

Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which received Rs 3.23 crore in donations, got Rs 1 crore from the Prudent Electoral Trust. On the other hand, companies such as Agventure Enterprises Private Ltd, Magnum Management and Services, Ganesh Infraworld Ltd, JPJ Infratech Pvt Ltd, and Bhawani Homes Projects Pvt Ltd, among others, accounted for over Rs 80 lakh of the contributions received.

The YSRCP declared donations of Rs 24.30 crore, with the largest contribution of Rs 10 crore from Chennai-based Goodwood Sanctuary Pvt Ltd and Rs 5 crore from NA Divine Habitat Pvt Ltd, also from Chennai.

The EC is yet to make public the contribution reports of the BJP, Congress and other national parties.

Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. Expertise Key Coverage Areas: Damini Nath currently specializes in reporting on two crucial beats: Housing and Urban Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis and reporting on India's urban development, policy, and housing issues. Election Commission (EC): Offering authoritative coverage of electoral processes, policies, and the functioning of India's constitutional body responsible for conducting elections. Professional Background: Her extensive experience includes roles as a reporter and sub-editor, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the journalistic process from fieldwork to final production. Previous Role: Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she served as a dedicated reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau, where her reporting portfolio included: Culture Social Justice Housing and Urban Affairs The Election Commission beat (a consistent area of focus). Trustworthiness Damini Nath's decade-plus career at two of India's most respected and authoritative news institutions, The Indian Express and The Hindu, underscores her commitment to factual, impartial, and high-quality reporting, establishing her as a trusted and credible source for news on urban governance and electoral matters. ... Read More

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 17 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism. Expertise High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including: The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls. National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India's security apparatus. Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities. National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements. Academic Credentials: Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi's premier institutions. Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India's most prestigious journalism school. ... Read More