National parties collected Rs 3,377.41 crore from unknown sources in the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was 70.98 per cent of the total income of these parties, according to poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

“During 2019-20, the BJP declared Rs 2,642.63 crore as income from unknown sources, which is 78.24 per cent of the total income of national parties from unknown sources,” the report said. The Congress declared Rs 526 crore. Other parties include NCP, CPI, CPI(M), TMC and BSP.

Unknown sources are income declared in income tax returns, but without giving source of income for donations below Rs 20,000. Such unknown sources include ‘donations through Electoral Bonds’, ‘sale of coupons’, ‘relief fund’, ‘miscellaneous income’, ‘voluntary contributions’, ‘contribution from meetings/morchas’.

The ADR recommended that national and regional political parties must provide all information under the Right to Information Act. “This will only strengthen political parties, elections and democracy. However, RTI or not, political parties should voluntarily account for every rupee that they get or spend.”

(With inputs from agencies)