Political Parties & Money

     We are living in the era of competition, every section of society namely religious organisations, business community and political parties use media extensively whether it is print or electronics to remain in the mind of mass, about their activities and often spend huge money. It is the tragedy that nobody can challenge about their source of money, they spend on advertisements especially two categories coded above in the list, and they are political parties & religious organisations, Political parties declares money under donation column thus escape to give specific information. In four years, combined exchequer of top five political parties jumps more then four folds, below is the list of income of top five political parties (money wise) ,in the year 2008,all figures are in Indian rupees –

1. Indian National Congress – 3.4 billion
2. Bhartiya Janta Party – 1.77 billion
3. CPI(M) – 1.56 billion
4. Samajwadi party – 1.44 billion
5. Bahujan Samaj party- 1.18 billion

In the year 2002, the total figures lying in the income tax office of all the parties were 2.23 billion rupees, as per detail release by the income tax department the source of income of political party’s were donations. Important question rises here who donate money to these parties and certainly they are not common people of this country. It was tradition and culture in the past, Indian National Congress collects donation from common people through meetings, during election campaign , the fund had to be collected, there was no pressure on people to give donation and they can donate as per there capacity in the party fund, but in today’s environment everything has now change, so is the style of getting donation from public, no more meetings visible but now business houses’, Industrialists and traders give donations, but in return also seek favour from party when they comes in power, which is not good for common people and country as favour by political party to any individual or group would be anti public, that’s not end here, and whenever political party spend huge amount on the name of their party functions, then they use the opportunity, to show other party’s and common people their money power, its recent example is on the 25th anniversary celebrations of Bahujan Samaj Party, as per rough estimates because correct figures are not available from party sources ,that multi fold crores of rupees(2,00 crores) were spent on the function, even only one garland which was made of 1,000 rupees note was made of somewhere in figure between 15 to 20 crores of rupees but if we go through the financial stats of the state then we shall be shock that we are reading the stats of same state whose chief minister spend crores of rupees on their party function, but government has no money to spend on public and developments, in simple words state is poor and under cash crunch but party is rich and have no shortage of funds. Irony of the countrymen are that they can watch their leader’s spectacular spendthrifts calmly but have no tongue to speak against them, but once in every five years time, public get respect and regard from their party leaders, which is the time of elections.
     To cut the power and spendthrifts of ruling party leaders, there should be law that any function or anniversary celebrations of any party, financial details should be submitted and must be accessible to anybody without any fear or as we are in digital age may be online and source of funds must be transparent, but biggest question is why these leaders, will open the mouse trap which can boomerang on to them also, some day in the future.