Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 11: The financial disclosures submitted to the Election Commission of India have revealed a sharp contrast in how major political parties funded their campaigns during the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, with the Bharatiya Janata Party spending the most overall while the Indian National Congress committed a much larger share of its limited funds.
According to the expenditure report submitted on February 10, the BJP spent Rs 146.71 crore during the Bihar Assembly election campaign — the highest among parties that have disclosed their spending so far. The Congress, which performed poorly in the polls, spent Rs 35.07 crore.
However, the difference becomes more striking when compared with the financial reserves of the two parties. Congress reportedly used around 28 per cent of its available funds for the Bihar contest, while the BJP spent only about 2 per cent of its total reserves.
At the end of the election period, the BJP reported a closing balance of Rs 7,088.58 crore compared to Rs 7,235.26 crore before the election. Congress, on the other hand, reported that its funds declined from Rs 124.2 crore before the polls to Rs 89.13 crore afterward.
In terms of electoral returns, the BJP emerged as the largest party in the Assembly with 89 seats. Based on this outcome, the party spent roughly Rs 1.64 crore for every MLA elected. When its total campaign spending is distributed across the 101 constituencies it contested, the average expenditure comes to about Rs 1.45 crore per seat.
Congress, which won only six seats, spent about Rs 5.83 crore per winning MLA. However, since it contested 61 constituencies, its average spending amounted to roughly Rs 57 lakh per seat contested.
The BJP’s electoral success also strengthens its position in forming the government, with current Nitish Kumar expected to move to the Rajya Sabha.
Analysts note that official expenditure figures often represent only a portion of the actual campaign spending, as a significant amount of election expenditure in India occurs through local mobilisation and channels that may not be fully reflected in official filings.
The BJP significantly increased its campaign spending compared to the previous Assembly election. During the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, the party had spent around Rs 54.72 crore, meaning its spending in 2025 was nearly three times higher.
A major portion of the BJP’s campaign budget was directed toward publicity and travel for senior leaders. Out of the total Rs 146 crore expenditure, around Rs 117 crore was spent on campaign outreach and the movement of star campaigners across the state.
The party spent Rs 43.53 crore on advertisements and campaign publicity, while Rs 37.28 crore was used for travel expenses of star campaigners. Another Rs 4.44 crore was spent on travel by other party leaders.
Digital campaigning also formed a key component of the strategy. The BJP spent Rs 14.27 crore on online advertisements through Google India Limited. Additionally, Rs 29.71 crore was spent on financial support to party candidates contesting the election.
Congress followed a different spending pattern. Of its total Rs 35.07 crore campaign expenditure, Rs 12.83 crore went toward travel expenses for star campaigners. Another Rs 11.24 crore was spent on social media campaigning.
The party also spent funds on the Voter Adhikar Yatra led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, which was organised in Bihar during the campaign period.
Among other parties that have disclosed their spending so far, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) reported an expenditure of Rs 26.75 lakh, while the Bahujan Samaj Party spent about Rs 9.01 crore. Both parties managed to win one seat each in the election.
However, expenditure data for key regional players such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (United) have not yet been submitted to the Election Commission, leaving the total campaign spending for the Bihar election incomplete for now.
The disclosures highlight the stark financial disparity between the BJP and Congress in one of India’s most politically significant states. While the BJP’s vast financial reserves enabled it to run an expansive campaign without significantly affecting its funds, Congress had to commit a far larger share of its resources to remain competitive.