59% of Bihar's Unrecognised Political Parties Failed to Disclose Finances in 2023-24: ADR Report

The report revealed 28 registered unrecognised parties in Bihar did not participate in any electoral contests.

New Delhi:

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a poll rights organization, more than half of Bihar's registered unrecognised political parties have failed to publicly disclose their mandatory financial information for 2023-24.

In its comprehensive review of 275 such parties—184 registered in Bihar and 91 in other states—the ADR discovered that 163 parties (59.27 percent) neither uploaded their audit reports nor submitted statements of donations exceeding Rs 20,000 on the websites of state chief electoral officers or the Election Commission (EC).

Of these non-compliant parties, 113 participated in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections.

The report highlighted that only 67 parties (24.36 percent) made both audit and contribution reports publicly available for 2023-24, collectively declaring an income of Rs 85.56 crore, expenditure of Rs 71.49 crore, and donations worth Rs 71.73 crore.

Delhi-registered Samata Party reported the highest income at Rs 53.13 crore, with the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) following at Rs 9.59 crore.

The ADR assessment also noted recent EC actions that resulted in the de-listing of 32 parties during August and September due to issues including inactivity and non-compliance. Among these de-listed parties, Bihar's Rashtriya Sarvodaya Party (registered in January 2014) declared the highest income at Rs 1,066.37 lakh (Rs 10.66 crore) over five years, reaching a peak of Rs 426.34 lakh (Rs 4.26 crore) in Financial Year 2021-22. Available information indicates this party did not contest elections.

According to the report, 28 registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) in Bihar abstained from contesting any elections, based on available information.

These non-participating parties reported a combined five-year income of Rs 152.545 lakh (Rs 1.52 crore) from FY 2019-20 to FY 2023-24.

The Mithilawadi Party (registered in September 2020) declared the highest five-year income of Rs 82.39 lakh, maintaining a consistent annual income of approximately Rs 20 lakh.

The Shoshit Inquilab Party followed with a total income of Rs 29.49 lakh from FY 2019-20 to 2023-24, divided between FY 2023-24 (Rs 15.31 lakh) and 2022-23 (Rs 14.18 lakh). The Gantantrik Janhit Party reported a total income of Rs 21.05 lakh, showing growth from Rs 3.05 lakh in FY 2021-22 to Rs 10 lakh in FY 2023-24.

For 31 parties whose audit reports were available but donation details were not, the ADR observed that income and donations were nearly identical, suggesting contributions were the primary funding source.

These reports provide insights into income and expenditure patterns, listing donations but lacking breakdowns for contributions exceeding Rs 20,000. While predominantly registered in Bihar (24), these parties also operate in other states including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, and Jharkhand.

The Rashtriya Jansambhavna Party dominated this group, accounting for more than 90 percent of the total income by declaring Rs 1647.59 lakh (Rs 16.47 crore). However, among the 21 parties from this category that contested the 2020 Bihar elections, none secured any seats.

Another 14 parties filed only contribution reports, collectively reflecting donations exceeding Rs 20,000 and amounting to Rs 682.28 crore.

The top contributors, Aam Janmat Party and Prabal Bharat Party (both registered in Bihar), received donations totaling Rs 680.655 crore, representing over 99 percent of donations across all 14 RUPPs.