Three of the top four highest income-earning regional parties in India during the 2024-25 financial year were from the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, according to the latest report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) topped the list, followed by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) at third and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) at fourth.
TDP Leads Income Rankings
TDP declared an income of Rs 228.3 crore in 2024-25, accounting for nearly 20% of the total income of all 36 regional parties analysed. Over half of this came from fees and subscriptions (Rs 120 crore), while voluntary contributions contributed around Rs 85.2 crore. The party also earned Rs 23 crore as interest from bank deposits. Despite strong earnings, TDP spent only Rs 61.33 crore, with election expenditure comprising Rs 31.73 crore (52% of total spending). Notably, 73.14% of its income remained unspent.
YSRCP Emerges as Biggest Spender
YSRCP earned Rs 140.4 crore, placing it third in income, but emerged as the highest-spending regional party with a massive expenditure of Rs 340.2 crore. Nearly Rs 300 crore went towards election campaigns, exceeding its income by Rs 199.8 crore. Almost 99.7% of its income came from donations and contributions (Rs 140.05 crore), highlighting heavy reliance on external funding.
BRS Sees Sharp Income Decline
BRS reported an income of Rs 123.67 crore, a steep 82% drop from Rs 685.5 crore in 2023-24 after losing power in Telangana. Despite this, it spent Rs 180.59 crore, exceeding income by Rs 56.92 crore, with election expenditure accounting for Rs 147.99 crore (82% of total spending). The party derived nearly 87.3% of its income (Rs 107.9 crore) from bank deposits.
Jana Sena's Membership-Driven Model
Jana Sena presented a distinct financial model, with income of Rs 64.1 crore and expenditure of Rs 56.9 crore. A major portion of spending went to public meetings (Rs 26.65 crore) and insurance for members (Rs 15.53 crore). Strikingly, 93% of its income (Rs 59.62 crore) came from membership fees, with zero donations declared. Its income rose 62.13% from Rs 39.5 crore in 2023-24.
Massive Election Spending in Andhra Pradesh
Collectively, TDP, YSRCP, and Jana Sena spent over Rs 458 crore during the election year, with nearly Rs 358 crore on campaigns. The ADR report also highlighted transparency concerns: only 36 of 67 recognised regional parties had audit reports available with the Election Commission, while 31 had not submitted them even after a delay of over 200 days past the October 31, 2025 deadline.
