BHUBANESWAR: Contrary to the belief that money can help win elections, the BJP secured a historic victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha, despite spending significantly less than its main rival BJD.
According to election expenditure reports submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI), BJD spent around Rs 415.21 crore for both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state while BJP’s campaign was far more cost-effective with the party spending only Rs 59.19 crore.
BJD incurred a gross expenditure of around Rs 277 crore for propaganda and Rs 138.21 crore for campaigning of candidates. After the elections, it reported a balance of Rs 625 crore in its bank accounts.
In contrast, BJP spent around a total Rs 34.33 crore for Assembly candidates and Rs 24.86 crore for Lok Sabha candidates. The party had paid Rs 29.6 crore to 147 candidates for contesting the polls. Its other expenses for the Assembly poll included Rs 3.15 crore on public meetings and processions by the state unit, Rs 81.21 lakh for publicity of criminal antecedents and Rs 76.03 lakh for publicity materials with photos of candidates.
For Lok Sabha, BJP’s total expenses on candidates was Rs 16.11 crore, including Rs 12.7 crore to candidates and Rs 3.15 crore on rally of star campaigners by the state unit, Rs 15.51 lakh on publicity materials and Rs 9.87 lakh on publishing criminal antecedents.
Party propaganda expenses stood at Rs 8.75 crore, which included media advertisement of Rs 2.86 crore, publicity materials of Rs 3.46 crore and other expenses of Rs 2.21 crore. While BJP provided Rs 20 lakh each to its candidates for contesting the Assembly poll, BJD gave Rs 30 lakh each. However, the Lok Sabha candidates of BJP received Rs 60 lakh each against BJD’s Rs 50 lakh.
BJP’s Sambalpur candidate and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan was provided the highest Rs 70 lakh. Similarly, the party’s Soro Assembly constituency candidate Parshuram Dhada got the maximum Rs 40 lakh. The saffron party had a balance of around Rs 12.72 crore post poll, the report submitted by the party stated.
BJD had disbursed a total of Rs 53.83 crore to its 147 Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha candidates. Bhadrak Lok Sabha candidate Manjulata Mandal received the highest amount at Rs 66.23 lakh while Dilip Tirkey received the lowest Rs 49.2 lakh. Among MLA candidates, Naveen Patnaik received the lowest Rs 12.22 lakh for Hinjili and Rs 21.7 lakh for Kantabanji.
Among other expenses, the BJD spent approximately Rs 47.14 crore on media advertisements, Rs 32.65 crore on publicity materials and Rs 10.96 crore on public meetings and processions.
On the other hand, Congress had spent Rs 1.32 crore including Rs 54.22 lakh for general propaganda, Rs 10 lakh for posters and banners for all constituencies and Rs 50 lakh for web, mobile and app services.
According to the party’s expenditure statement, only the then PCC president Sarat Pattanayak, who contested from Nuapada Assembly constituency, was provided Rs 18 lakh and no other Assembly and Lok Sabha candidate was given money for the simultaneous polls.