In the latest findings shared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a detailed report has come out on how much money Delhi’s MLAs spent during the last Assembly elections. This report clearly shows how different political parties and individual candidates used their funds and from where that money came.
ADR studied the spending reports of 69 elected MLAs and presented some eye-opening facts. It shows how much they spent and how many of them spent less than the limit fixed by the Election Commission. The official spending limit for each MLA during the Delhi Assembly elections was Rs 40 lakh.
Almost Half of MLAs Spent Less Than Half the Limit
Of the 69 MLAs analysed, 31 (45%) said they spent less than 50% of the allowed limit. They spent less than Rs 20 lakh on their whole election campaign. This is quite surprising, considering how costly elections are generally believed to be.
On average, an MLA spends Rs 20.79 lakh, around 52% of the total allowed limit. So, while some went close to the limit, a good number of them stayed far below.
BJP vs AAP: Spending Patterns Compared
The report also shows how much MLAs from different parties spent on average.
- BJP MLAs (47 in total) spent more than others. Their average spending was Rs 24.68 lakh, about 61.7% of the total limit.
- On the other hand, AAP MLAs (22 in total) spent much less. Their average was just Rs 12.48 lakh, only 31.2% of the allowed amount.
This shows that BJP candidates, on average, spent nearly double what AAP candidates did during their election campaigns.
Who Spent the Most?
Among all the candidates, the top 3 highest spenders were from the BJP:
- Anil Kumar Sharma (RK Puram) – Rs 31.91 lakh (about 80% of the spending limit)
- Pradyuman Singh Rajput (Dwarka) – Rs 31.44 lakh (79%)
- Ashish Sood (Janakpuri) – Rs 30.68 lakh (77%)
These leaders stayed close to the Rs 40 lakh mark but remained within legal limits.
Who Spent the Least?
In contrast, the least money was spent by AAP candidates:
- Ale Mohammad Iqbal (Matia Mahal) – Rs 4.53 lakh (just 11%)
- Veer Singh Dhingan (Seemapuri) – Rs 6.5 lakh (16%)
- Virendra Singh Kadian (Delhi Cantt) – Rs 6.54 lakh (16%)
These AAP leaders ran their campaigns on minimal budgets, staying below the maximum allowed amount.
Where the Money Was Spent: Vehicles and Rallies Top List
The most common expense in the campaigns was vehicle use. 88 out of 69 MLAs reported spending part of their funds on vehicles, primarily for campaign travel and logistics.
The next central spending area was public meetings and rallies with star campaigners. Around 72% of MLAs used money for this purpose.
What stood out was that digital campaigning was almost missing. Only one MLA (1%) reported any expense on digital advertisements or online promotions. This shows that even today, most Delhi MLAs still depend on traditional campaign methods like posters, rallies, and public meetings.
Where the Money Came From: The Majority From Political Parties
Funding is just as significant as spending. The report fully explains how these MLAs arranged the money for their campaigns.
- 80% of the MLAs said their main financial support came from their political parties.
- 57% also raised funds through loans or donations.
- 91% of the candidates said they used their money to support their campaigns.
This mix of party support, donations, and personal funds highlights how candidates built their election fund.
Another figure says that overall:
- 75% of the total funds came from parties
- 11% came from individual sources
- 14% came from individuals, companies, and other groups
This shows that while the party plays a significant role, personal savings and external donations comprise a substantial part of campaign funding.
One MLA Missing From the Analysis
ADR said it could not include Vijender Gupta (BJP MLA from Rohini) in the report because his spending report was unavailable on the Delhi Election Commission’s website. Therefore, his data is missing from the analysis.
Important Note for Readers
While all the numbers and spending figures mentioned above are based on official data submitted by the MLAs, actual spending can sometimes differ in real terms. The ADR report is based on self-reported documents available on government records.
This article is based on publicly available information reported by the independent election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Sources: Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), TV9 Hindi
