The BJP spent Rs 529.38 crore across the Assembly elections held in five states and one Union Territory earlier in 2026, according to election expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission of India. The elections covered West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
West Bengal accounted for the largest portion of the BJP's reported expenditure. The party spent Rs 286.99 crore in the state, representing more than half of its total spending across the five electoral contests. The expenditure statements provide a breakdown of spending on general campaigning, candidates and other election related activities.
According to the expenditure data, the BJP spent Rs 217.16 crore on general campaigning in West Bengal. A further Rs 69.83 crore was reported as expenditure on candidates and related activities. Of this amount, Rs 58.80 crore was provided to candidates, according to the filings.
The West Bengal election was one of the largest electoral contests among the five polls. The BJP won 207 of the 293 seats for which results were declared, while the Trinamool Congress won 80 seats. The Congress won two seats, while the Communist Party of India Marxist won one seat. The Trinamool Congress had not submitted its expenditure report at the time of the report cited by the media.
The BJP's spending in West Bengal was followed by its expenditure in Assam and Kerala. The party reported spending Rs 96.27 crore in Assam. In Kerala, its reported expenditure stood at Rs 82.67 crore. The party spent another Rs 51.56 crore in Tamil Nadu and Rs 11.90 crore in Puducherry. Together, these figures, along with the West Bengal expenditure, account for the BJP's reported total of Rs 529.38 crore.
The expenditure statements provide an indication of how political parties allocated funds during the election cycle. Party spending can cover a wide range of activities, including public meetings, campaign travel, advertising, campaign materials, organisational activities and financial support provided to candidates.
There is an important distinction between expenditure incurred by political parties and expenditure limits applicable to individual candidates. Candidates are subject to prescribed spending limits under election rules, while recognised political parties can incur expenditure for campaigning at the party level subject to applicable laws and reporting requirements.
The Congress also filed expenditure statements covering the five electoral contests. According to the reports, Congress reported total expenditure of about Rs 248.55 crore across the five states and Union Territory. In West Bengal, Congress reported spending around Rs 42 crore while contesting all 293 seats independently. The party won two seats in the state.
In Kerala, Congress reported expenditure of around Rs 105 crore. The party won 63 seats in the state. The BJP reported spending approximately Rs 83 crore in Kerala and won three seats. The Communist Party of India Marxist reported expenditure of around Rs 29 crore in Kerala.
The Communist Party of India Marxist reported consolidated expenditure of about Rs 39 crore across the five elections, according to the reports based on expenditure statements.
The figures also provide information about the financial position of the parties during the election period. The BJP's central headquarters reportedly received Rs 1,472.8 crore during the election period. Its expenditure statements showed that the party's central office had a closing balance of around Rs 7,689 crore after the election cycle, according to the Indian Express report.
The Congress reported receipts of around Rs 207 crore across its headquarters and five state units during the period, according to the Times of India report. The party's combined balance across its headquarters and the five state units was reported to have declined during the election period.
The publication of election expenditure statements is part of the financial reporting process associated with elections. Political parties are required to submit details of their election related expenditure to the Election Commission. These statements allow the spending reported by parties to be examined after the completion of elections.
The latest figures show that West Bengal represented a particularly large share of the BJP's reported expenditure during the 2026 Assembly election cycle. At Rs 286.99 crore, its spending in the state alone was higher than the Congress's combined reported expenditure across the five states and Union Territory.
The data also show differences in the amount spent by the BJP across the other states. Assam accounted for Rs 96.27 crore, Kerala for Rs 82.67 crore, Tamil Nadu for Rs 51.56 crore and Puducherry for Rs 11.90 crore. These figures reflect the expenditure reported by the party in its statements and should not by themselves be treated as a measure of campaign effectiveness or electoral performance.
The election expenditure data provide a financial snapshot of the 2026 Assembly election cycle. The filings cover the expenses reported by political parties and are separate from the results of individual constituencies.
With the Election Commission receiving expenditure statements from the parties, the financial details of the recently concluded Assembly elections are now available for public examination. The data include state wise spending, candidate related expenses, general campaign expenditure and party level receipts during the election period.
