UP's Samajwadi Party's Biggest Donation Came From 1,000 km Away In Bengal

In Indian politics, it is often said that "the road to power in Delhi passes through Lucknow." However, recent contribution data filed by the Samajwadi Party (SP) with the Election Commission of India (ECI) shows that a significant share of its funding is coming from West Bengal, nearly 1,000 kilometres away.

According to its contribution report for the 2024-25 financial year, the Samajwadi Party received Rs 93.47 lakh from 26 donors, nearly double the Rs 46.7 lakh it collected in the previous financial year, 2023-24. The party's donations have risen steadily over the last three years, climbing from Rs 26.9 lakh in 2022-23 to the current Rs 93.47 lakh. This spike follows the SP emerging as the single largest party from Uttar Pradesh in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

As per the data, 32 per cent of the total amount came from a single family in Kolkata. Aditi Sen and her husband, Sudip Ranjan Sen, together donated Rs 30 lakh to the party. Of this, Rs 24.5 lakh was donated in Aditi Sen's name, while Rs 5.5 lakh came from Sudip Ranjan Sen.

Also Read: BJP Got Rs 6,654 Crore In Donations In 2024-25, Congress Saw Huge Dip

Apart from individuals, the Samajwadi Party also received Rs 35 lakh from three companies, with the remaining balance contributed by other individual donors.

This is not the first time Sudip Ranjan Sen has emerged as a major contributor. In 2023-24, he accounted for 53 per cent of the party's total donations (Rs 25 lakh). This year, his family's contribution has grown to Rs 30 lakh.

While there is nothing illegal about donating to a political party outside one's home state, Sen's association with the Samajwadi Party goes beyond donation. During the Akhilesh Yadav-led government in Uttar Pradesh, Sen was appointed Chairman of the UP Tourism Development Corporation in 2013. He later contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Raiganj, West Bengal, on an SP ticket against senior Congress leader Deepa Das Munshi.

Election Commission's records also show that in 2013-14, Aditi Sen donated Rs 1.5 crore to the party, highlighting the family's long-standing financial relationship with the SP.

Sudip Ranjan Sen is also a well-known figure in cultural circles. A noted Nazrul Geeti singer, he runs a music institute in Kolkata called Basanti Bidya Bithi. The institute, established by his grandfather Manoranjan Sen, offers courses in Rabindrasangeet, Kathak, Hindustani classical music, and ghazals.

National Donation Trends

While the SP saw growth, other national parties reported wide variations in donations for 2024-25:
BJP: Received Rs 6,654.93 crore, a 68 per cent jump from the previous fiscal year.
Congress: Reported a sharp 43 per cent decline, receiving Rs 522.13 crore.
TMC: Donations fell to Rs 184.08 crore from Rs 618.8 crore.
BRS: Reported just Rs 15.09 crore, down from Rs 580 crore.
AAP: Recorded an increase, collecting Rs 39.2 crore compared to last year's Rs 22.1 crore.
TDP: Received Rs 85.2 crore in donations, but earned an additional Rs 102 crore through fees and subscriptions.
BJD: Reported Rs 60 crore, down from Rs 246 crore.