AnyTV News Congress was crying about lack of funds, yet it spent so many hundred crores in election campaign -

Image Source : PTI
Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge

New Delhi: Congress, which claims cash crunch ahead of Lok Sabha elections, has told the Election Commission that it spent about Rs 585 crore in the parliamentary elections and the accompanying state assembly elections. In its election expenditure report for the general elections and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, the Congress said it spent Rs 410 crore on advertisements and media campaigning and Rs 410 crore on digital campaigning through social media, apps and other mediums. Approximately Rs 46 crore has been spent.

Rs 105 crore spent on air travel of star campaigners

The Congress said it spent around Rs 105 crore on air travel of its star campaigners during the Lok Sabha election campaign, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former party president Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders. The party also made a lump sum payment of Rs 11.20 crore to Rahul Gandhi and some other party candidates to contest the Lok Sabha elections this year. A total of Rs 68.62 crore was spent on printing of posters, banners, hoardings and other campaign material during the Lok Sabha election campaign. At the time of announcement of Lok Sabha elections, Congress had a total of Rs 170 crore in the form of various deposits. The party received Rs 539.37 crore as gross receipts in various forms, including cash deposits of Rs 13.76 crore.

Congress’s bank accounts were seized

The main opposition Congress had cited a shortage of funds ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the Income Tax Department had frozen some of the party’s bank accounts over disputes over income tax returns from previous years. However, after the matter reached the court, the freeze on the accounts was lifted. Congress won 99 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats in the general election and emerged as the main opposition party. BJP returned to power for the third consecutive time. (with language inputs)