Strange as it may sound, the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the leading regional party in the country in terms of income, while the opposition YSR Congress Party reported the highest expenditure during 2024-25, according to the latest report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the major opposition party in Telangana, recorded the sharpest fall in income among all regional parties in the country.
The ADR analysis of 36 regional political parties revealed that their combined income during 2024-25 stood at Rs 1,192.944 crore, a massive decline of 51.57 percent compared to Rs 2,463.175 crore reported in 2023-24. The overall reduction in income amounted to Rs 1,270.231 crore.
According to the report, the TDP reported the highest income among all regional parties at Rs 228.315 crore, accounting for 19.14 percent of the total income collectively earned by the 36 parties.
The Trinamool Congress (AITC) stood second with Rs 219.353 crore, while the YSR Congress Party ranked third with an income of Rs 140.386 crore.
The report stated that the top five regional parties together accounted for Rs 821.867 crore, constituting nearly 69 percent of the total income declared by all parties under study.
Among the Andhra Pradesh-based parties, the financial performance of the TDP and YSRCP reflected contrasting trends.
While the TDP registered strong financial stability with substantial unspent income, the YSRCP reported expenditure significantly exceeding its earnings during the year.
The ADR report noted that 19 of the 36 regional parties witnessed an increase in income between FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25, while 17 parties recorded a decline.
Among the parties that showed improvement, the Jana Sena Party from Andhra Pradesh posted one of the sharpest increases in income.
The party registered an increase of Rs 24.567 crore during the financial year, placing it among the top three parties with the highest growth in income.
AIADMK reported the highest increase at Rs 39.248 crore, followed by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) with Rs 37.744 crore.
In Telangana, the BRS suffered the biggest financial setback among all regional parties. The party’s income declined by Rs 561.843 crore between 2023-24 and 2024-25, marking the highest drop recorded in the report.
The sharp fall in BRS finances comes against the backdrop of the party’s electoral setback in Telangana and reduced political momentum after losing power in the state.
The TMC and Biju Janata Dal followed the BRS with income declines of Rs 427.038 crore and Rs 187.669 crore, respectively.
The report highlighted that 21 regional parties spent more money than they earned during 2024-25. Among them, the YSR Congress Party reported the highest excess expenditure.
According to ADR, the YSRCP spent Rs 340.203 crore during the year against an income of Rs 140.386 crore, meaning the party spent 142.33 percent more than its total earnings.
The party also emerged as the highest spender among all regional parties in the country, accounting for 23.739 percent of the total expenditure incurred collectively by the 36 parties.
A substantial portion of the YSRCP’s expenditure — Rs 299.923 crore — was incurred towards election campaign expenses, making it one of the highest election-related expenditures reported in the study.
Apart from the YSRCP, several other parties, including AITC, BRS, BJD, JD(U), SP and JD(S), also reported expenditure exceeding their income.
The ADR report observed that 15 regional parties retained a portion of their income as unspent funds during 2024-25.
Among them, the TDP retained the highest surplus amount, with Rs 166.985 crore remaining unspent. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena retained Rs 36.268 crore, while AIADMK reported Rs 35.856 crore as unspent income.
The figures indicate that the TDP maintained a comparatively stronger financial position among regional parties, with substantial reserves available after expenditure.
Voluntary contributions continued to be the primary source of income for regional parties. Collectively, the 36 parties received Rs 702.362 crore through donations and contributions, accounting for 58.876 percent of their total income.
Among the parties, the TMC declared the highest donations at Rs 184.08 crore, followed closely by the YSR Congress Party at Rs 140.05 crore.
The TDP received Rs 85.20 crore in donations, while AIADMK, BJD and MNS also reported significant contribution inflows.
