BJP's Rs 529 Crore Poll Blitz Across 5 States, Outspends Parties

The BJP's election-expenditure filings show Rs 529.39 crore in reported expenditure across Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal for the 2026 Assembly elections, analysis done by NDTV shows. 

West Bengal accounted for Rs 286.99 crore, more than half of the BJP's reported expenditure across the five contests. The spending came alongside a decisive electoral result, with the BJP winning 207 of West Bengal's 294 Assembly seats, while the Trinamool Congress won 80.

In West Bengal, the BJP reported Rs 286.99 crore in expenditure, compared with Rs 27.65 crore reported by the Congress in the filing analysed. The difference was Rs 259.34 crore.

In Assam, the BJP reported Rs 96.27 crore, compared with Rs 30 crore for the Congress. The difference was Rs 66.27 crore. The BJP won 82 of the state's 126 seats, while Congress won 19.

In Kerala, the BJP reported Rs 82.67 crore, compared with Rs 27.67 crore for Congress. The difference was Rs 55 crore. Congress won 63 seats, while the BJP won three.

Tamil Nadu was an exception to the spending pattern. The BJP reported Rs 51.56 crore, while the DMK filing showed Rs 193.70 crore attributable to Tamil Nadu. The difference was Rs 142.14 crore. The BJP won one seat, while the DMK won 59 and TVK won 108.

In Puducherry, the BJP reported Rs 11.90 crore, compared with Rs 1.95 crore for the DMK. The difference was Rs 9.95 crore. The BJP won four seats and the DMK won five, while AINRC won 12.

Across the supplied filings, the BJP's reported expenditure adds up to Rs 529.39 crore. The corresponding figures are Rs 197.85 crore for the DMK, Rs 112.40 crore for AIADMK, Rs 95.52 crore for Congress and Rs 39.04 crore for CPI(M).

These figures are not strictly like-for-like because the filings cover different categories and jurisdictions. The Congress document, for example, reports lump-sum assistance to candidates, while the AIADMK filing combines Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala.