Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's party JD(U), an ally of the BJP-led NDA, received Rs 60.15 crore in donations in the pandemic-hit 2020-21 financial year-the highest among the country's 54 regional parties. DMK (Rs 33.99 crore) and AAP (Rs 11.32 crore) were second and third, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said in a report. 

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) declared net donations of Rs 4.16 crore and Rs 4.15 crore. These five regional parties had cornered the lion's share of the donations. 

The ADR report revealed that Rs 95.45 crore came to the regional parties in 207 donations from the corporate/business sector, while 2,569 individual donors gave Rs 25.57 crore. JD(U) declared 58 donations (Rs 59.24 crore from the corporate/business sector and over Rs 90 lakh from 272 individual donors). 

The report is based on donations declared by regional political parties in 2020-21 to the election commission (EC). Under Section 29C (1) of the Representation of People's Act, 1951, political parties are required to prepare a report with details of contributions in excess of Rs 20,000 from any person in a financial year to get 100% tax exemption. 

The donation reports of Bihar's other regional parties like RJD, RLSP (now merged with JD-U) and LJP were not available on the EC website, the ADR said. 

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-the party in office in Jharkhand-as well as NDPP, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLTP) have yet to declare the amount of donations they got.