The Bharatiya Janata Party spent over Rs 340 crore on its campaigns for the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab this year, according to its election expenditure report. This was nearly 58% higher than the Rs 218.26 crore that it had shelled out in these states in 2017, according to an analysis by The Indian Express.
At the same time, the Congress in its expenditure report said it spent Rs 194 crore in these five states, 80% more than the Rs 108.14 crore spent on campaigns five years ago.
The Assembly elections were held in February and March. BJP landed a thumping victory in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand, while the Aam Aadmi Party won in Punjab. The Congress managed to win only 55 of the 690 seats spread across the five states.
The BJP’s election expenditure report showed that it had spent the maximum amount (Rs 221.32 crore) in Uttar Pradesh, where it returned to power with a reduced tally from the 2017 score.
The saffron party’s poll expenses for the Assembly elections in Uttarakhand stood at Rs 43.67 crore and it spent Rs 36 crore in Punjab, nearly five-fold its expenditure of Rs 7.43 crore in the 2017 polls.
In Goa, the BJP spent Rs 19 crore for polls this year, while in Manipur the party incurred an expenditure of Rs 23.51 crore, according to the report submitted to the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, the Congress spent Rs 15.67 crore on virtual campaigns through social media platforms and other means.
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