AAP gets over Rs 9.6 cr in donations recorded above Rs 20,000

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has garnered over Rs 9.6 crore in donations, in excess of Rs 20,000 from thousands of its supporters and well-wishers in the last financial year, according to data submitted to the Election Commission.

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has garnered over Rs 9.6 crore in donations, in excess of Rs 20,000 from thousands of its supporters and well-wishers in the last financial year, according to data submitted to the Election Commission.

A number of political parties recently submitted their annual reports of contributions of over Rs 20,000 received by them, as stipulated under Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which enables recognised political parties to get tax exemptions on this income, to the Election Commission (EC) which gives them to the Income-Tax Department for scrutiny in this regard.

Records state that the AAP got a total of Rs 9,61,51,672 from as many as 1,571 donors who had contributed varied amounts of funds through cheques, cash or electronic transfer to the party.

The tally, for the 2013-14 fiscal, is led by the Congress which has received donations worth over Rs 66 crore and NCP which has got slightly more than Rs 14 crore under the same category.

The BJP is the only national party which has not submitted this data to the EC till now. Other recognised parties who have not submitted this information to the poll panel include TRS, BJD, YSRCP, INLD, LJP, National Conference and PDP.

Among others parties who submitted their donations list includes JD (S) at over Rs 5.48 crore, JD (U) over Rs 2.17 crore, CPI (Marxist) more than Rs 2.09 crore, CPI over 1.28 crore, Shiv Sena over Rs 1.81 crore and TDP more than Rs 1.01 crore.

While Congress reported that it received a total of Rs 66,47,22,228 as part of contributions made over Rs 20,000 for the last financial year, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said it has received about Rs 1.40 crore, AIADMK 1.03 crore and DMK slightly over Rs over Rs 1.04 crore.

Almost all the Congress MPs and Ministers of the last Lok Sabha composition have contributed to their party funds in various amounts, according to the submitted records.

The Bahujan Samaj Party was the only major political party which said it had received "nil" amount under this category.

The DMK said it has received over Rs 79.85 crore in donations but a sum of only Rs 1.05 crore was collected over the Rs 20,000 benchmark criteria, as prescribed under the law.

Few parties like Raj Thackeray's MNS (Rs 91.94 lakh), RLD (slightly over Rs 1.47 crore) and Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) at Rs 2.89 crore have totalled their contributions in the formated report.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has reported only one donor who contributed to the party over Rs 20,000 and that is party leader and Chief Minister Hemant Soren, with a cheque of Rs 6.50 lakh.

Lalu Prasad's RJD received donations of Rs 1.1 crore by only two donors in the last fiscal while Ajit Singh's RLD got slightly over Rs 1.47 crore donations under this category.

The Samajwadi Party has reported total donations of Rs 1.69 crore with six cheques of Rs 25 lakh each coming from a single woman based in Salt Lake city in Kolkata.

The EC regulates and scrutinises these contribution reports of parties under subsection (3) and (4) of section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and only those registered political parties are entitled to tax exemption who have filed their contribution report in form 24A prescribed under rule 85B of Conduct of Election rules, 1961 before the due date for furnishing a return of income of that financial year, which is November 30 according to present rules.

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