New Delhi. Before the Lok Sabha elections, Congress was saying that it was short of funds. In Odisha, a Congress candidate had returned her ticket saying that the party was not giving her funds for campaigning. According to the news that has come now, Congress has spent a lot on campaigning in the Lok Sabha and the accompanying assembly elections. In the expenditure details given by the Congress to the Election Commission, it has been said that the party spent Rs 585 crore in the Lok Sabha and the accompanying assembly elections. Along with the Lok Sabha elections, Congress also contested the assembly elections of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, but could not form its government anywhere.
Congress has informed the Election Commission that out of the Rs 585 crore it spent, 70 percent was for advertising and media campaigns. Congress has informed the Election Commission that it has spent Rs 46 crore on digital campaigning. The party has reported spending Rs 105 crore on the air travel of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other star campaigners in the Lok Sabha and the accompanying assembly elections. Congress has told the Election Commission that it gave an amount of Rs 11.20 crore to Rahul Gandhi and prominent Lok Sabha candidates to contest the elections.
Before the Lok Sabha elections, Congress had alleged that the Income Tax Department had frozen its accounts and it did not have funds to contest the elections. After this, Income Tax had said that the freeze on Congress’s account has been lifted till the elections are over. At that time Congress had Rs 170 crore. At the same time, he also received Rs 539.37 crore including Rs 13.76 crore in cash. Congress performed better than before in the Lok Sabha elections and won 99 seats. These also include the seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli.
