CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal’s income fell by 82% after it lost the 2017 assembly elections in Punjab, from Rs 21.89 crore in 2016-17, when it was ruling the state, to Rs 3.91 crore in 2017-18, according to an analysis of the income and expenditure of 37 regional parties.

The polls were held on February 4, 2017, and results declared around the end of the 2016-17 financial year, March 11. Delhi-based NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) carried out the analysis based on the income-tax returns which parties submitted to the Election Commission of India (EC).

INLD was the other party from the region analysed by ADR. Its income rose from Rs 30 lakh in 2016-17 to Rs 1.04 crore in 2017-18.

At Rs 4.98 crore, SAD’s expenditure was Rs 1.07 crore more than its income in 2017-18, said the report. INLD’s expenses, Rs 1.35 crore, were also more than its income.

Of its Rs 3.91-crore income, SAD earned Rs 2.71 crore from grants, donations and contributions; Rs 1.06 crore by issuing coupons/ sale of publication; Rs 89,000 from fees and subscriptions; and Rs 43,000 from “other sources”.

At Rs 4.3 crore, administrative and general expenses took up 86.87% of spending by SAD. This was followed by employee costs (Rs 45.6 lakh), depreciation and amortisation expenses (Rs 17 lakh) and other expenditure (Rs 2.8 lakh) The Indian National Lok Dal earned Rs 73.65 lakh from fees and subscriptions, Rs 7.8 lakh from grants/donations/ contributions, and Rs 22.35 lakh from interest on bank deposits. Administrative and general expenses, at Rs 1.01 crore, made up 74.54% of its spending. It was followed by depreciation and amortisation expenses (Rs 14.8 lakh), employee costs (Rs 5.8 lakh) and other expenditure (Rs 13.9 lakh).

The drop in SAD and INLD’s income is in line with the fall in the earnings of all 37 parties analysed, from Rs 468.63 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 170.02 crore in 2017-18. Uttar Pradesh-based Samajwadi Party (SP) reported the highest income among regional parties, Rs 47 crore in 2017-18. It was followed by Tamil Nadu-based Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Rs 35 crore), and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (Rs 27 crore).

Three parties with the highest expenditure in 2017-18 are: SP (Rs 34 crore), DMK (Rs 27 crore) and Andhra Pradesh-based Telugu Desam Party (Rs 16 crore).

Of the 37 parties, 15 showed a decline in their income from the 2016-17 fiscal to 2017-18 financial year. Also, 19 parties showed an increase in their income, while the remaining three did not submit their income-tax return to the EC in the 2016-17 financial year.