By Political Bureau
New Delhi Chronicle
NEW DELHI — Contributions received by the Indian National Congress in excess of ₹20,000 plummeted by nearly 75% during the 2025–26 financial year, according to the official annual contribution report submitted by the party to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The party disclosed total contributions of ₹130.69 crore under this head for FY 2025–26, representing a sharp drop from the ₹517.39 crore collected during FY 2024–25. This marks the lowest collection of large-ticket donations for the Congress party in three years and its steepest single-year drop in a decade since 2015–16.
Sharp Drop in Corporate Electoral Trust Funding
A primary catalyst for the decline is a steep reduction in contributions from corporate electoral trusts—most notably the Prudent Electoral Trust.
Bullet Prudent Electoral Trust: Funding from Prudent dropped by nearly 88%, falling from ₹216.34 crore in FY 2024–25 to just ₹25 crore in FY 2025–26.
Bullet Proportional Share: Prudent accounted for 19% of the party’s total disclosed contributions above ₹20,000 this year, compared to 41.8% in the previous fiscal year.
Other major corporate donors included Star Cement Limited (₹5 crore), Sajjan Bhajanka (₹4 crore), Afnan Constructions (₹3 crore), and Prem Kumar Bhajanka (₹2 crore). Contributions equal to or exceeding ₹1 crore from just nine major donors totaled ₹43 crore, constituting roughly one-third of the party’s overall large-ticket funding pool. Meanwhile, 1,321 smaller donations capped at ₹5 lakh yielded ₹37.2 crore, representing 28.5% of total receipts.
Reversal Following General Election Year Spike
The dramatic contraction comes immediately following an election year (FY 2024–25), during which Lok Sabha poll activity drove an 84% surge in donations over FY 2023–24 figures (₹281.48 crore). However, the FY 2025–26 total of ₹130.69 crore represents a 53% drop even when compared to the pre-general election baseline of FY 2023–24.
The funding slump coincides with key regional electoral battles, including the Bihar Assembly elections and upcoming polls across Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
Overall Financial Position Pending Audited Accounts
The ECI disclosure covers only individual and corporate contributions exceeding ₹20,000 and does not capture the party’s total financial intake. The full financial report—including revenue from coupon sales, small-ticket membership drives, digital crowdfunding, and bank interest—will be determined once audited accounts for FY 2025–26 are finalized. In FY 2024–25, the party generated over ₹350 crore from coupon sales alone.
