Guwahati: The BJP spent Rs 96.27 crore on its election campaign in Assam during the 2026 Assembly polls, more than four times the Rs 22.62 crore reported by the Congress for general party propaganda in the state, according to expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission.
Assam recorded the BJP’s highest election expenditure among the three states for which its detailed statements have so far been made public.
Of the BJP’s Rs 96.27-crore expenditure in Assam, Rs 76.73 crore was spent on general party propaganda, while Rs 19.54 crore was allocated towards candidates and related expenses.
Advertising accounted for the largest share of the BJP’s general propaganda spending in the state, at around Rs 37 crore. The party also spent approximately Rs 27.3 crore on travel-related expenses for star campaigners.
The Congress, meanwhile, reported Rs 22.62 crore in general party propaganda expenditure in Assam. The figure represented the party’s second-highest state-wise propaganda spending, behind Kerala, where it reported expenditure of Rs 59.28 crore.
The expenditure statements point to a significant difference in the financial resources available to the two major parties during the five-state Assembly election cycle.
According to the filings, the BJP received nearly Rs 1,473 crore at its central headquarters between March 15 and May 6, the period covering the elections. The Congress reported net receipts of Rs 207.17 crore across its central and state units during the same period.
The Congress reported total election expenditure of Rs 248.55 crore across Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry. Of this amount, Rs 143 crore went towards general party propaganda, while Rs 105.55 crore was spent on candidates and related expenses.
The BJP’s expenditure statements currently available show spending of around Rs 159.7 crore across Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Approximately Rs 130.4 crore of this amount was spent on general party propaganda, with the remaining expenditure going towards candidates and related costs.
The BJP’s detailed expenditure statements for Kerala and West Bengal have not yet been made public.
The financial position of the two parties also changed substantially during the election period.
The BJP’s closing balance at its central headquarters stood at Rs 7,627.2 crore on May 6, compared with Rs 6,722.6 crore on March 15. This represented an increase of Rs 904.6 crore during the period.
In contrast, the Congress saw its combined funds across its central headquarters and five state units decline from approximately Rs 169.06 crore at the beginning of the election period to around Rs 103.2 crore by May 6, marking a reduction of Rs 65.86 crore.
The Assam figures highlight the considerable gap in reported campaign spending between the BJP and Congress during the 2026 Assembly election. The BJP’s Rs 96.27-crore expenditure in the state was more than four times the Congress’ Rs 22.62 crore spent on general party propaganda.