The combined income of 36 regional political parties fell by more than 51 per cent in 2024-25 compared with the previous financial year, even as 21 of them spent more than they earned, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report, published on 27 May, analysed the audited accounts of 36 out of 67 recognised regional parties whose annual audit reports for the 2024-25 financial year were available on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website. ADR noted that the remaining 31 parties had failed to upload their audit reports despite 207 days having passed since the 31 October 2025 deadline. According to the findings, the total income of the 36 regional parties stood at Rs 1,192.94 crore in FY 2024-25, down from Rs 2,463.17 crore in FY 2023-24 a decline of Rs 1,270.23 crore, or 51.57 per cent. In contrast, the parties collectively declared expenditure of Rs 1,433.07 crore, exceeding their combined income by Rs 240.12 crore, or around 20 per cent. The report found that the top five regional parties accounted for nearly 69 per cent of the total income and more than 77 per cent of total expenditure among the parties analysed. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) reported the highest income at Rs 228.31 crore, representing 19.14 per cent of the total income. It was followed by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) with Rs 219.35 crore and the YSR Congress with Rs 140.39 crore. In terms of expenditure, the YSR Congress emerged as the highest spender at Rs 340.20 crore, followed by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) at Rs 288.44 crore and the AITC at Rs 227.59 crore. ADR highlighted that 21 of the 36 parties spent more than the income they generated during the year. The YSR Congress recorded the largest excess expenditure, spending Rs 199.82 crore more than its income — 142.33 per cent above its earnings. Other parties reporting expenditure higher than income included the AITC, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), BJD, Janata Dal (United) and the Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, 15 parties reported surplus income. The TDP retained the largest unspent amount at Rs 166.98 crore, followed by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) with Rs 36.27 crore and the AIADMK with Rs 35.86 crore. Voluntary contributions remained the primary source of funding for regional parties. Donations and contributions accounted for Rs 702.36 crore, or 58.88 per cent of total income. The AITC reported the highest donations at Rs 184.08 crore, followed by the YSR Congress at Rs 140.05 crore and the TDP at Rs 85.20 crore. Interest income contributed Rs 277.21 crore, making up 23.24 per cent of the total income. The report also observed that election-related and administrative expenses continued to dominate expenditure patterns. Fifteen regional parties spent more than 55 per cent of their expenditure on election campaigns. The YSR Congress alone spent Rs 299.92 crore on elections, followed by the BJD at Rs 270.66 crore and the BRS at Rs 147.99 crore. ADR further flagged delays in the submission of audit reports. While 15 parties filed their reports within the deadline, 21 submitted them late, with delays ranging from two to 96 days. The organisation also pointed out that 31 regional parties — including the DMK, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference — had not uploaded their audit reports for FY 2024-25 on the ECI website at the time the report was prepared. ADR called for stricter enforcement of disclosure norms, greater transparency regarding donor details and stronger penalties for parties that fail to submit audit reports on time.