Story perspectives

AAP Donations Drop 68% to Rs 12.09 Crore

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 4:06 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Aam Aadmi Party reported Rs 12.09 crore in 2025-26 donations, a 68% decline.
Prudent Electoral Trust and Trident Limited each gave Rs 5 crore, together comprising 83% of AAP’s receipts.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajendra Gupta, Trident founder, switched from AAP to BJP in early 2026.
AAP disclosed all donation receipts, unlike parties that report only amounts above Rs 20,000.
Telugu Desam Party received Rs 58.25 crore in 2025-26, with Prudent Electoral Trust providing over 77%.

History

Historical Context

In 2013, the Supreme Court of India’s Association for Democratic Reforms ruling required parties to disclose donors giving over INR20,000, reshaping finance. The Election Commission complied, publishing 1,200 donor names in 2015 and recording INR2,500 crore in contributions, illustrating the mandate’s quantitative impact. AAP’s 2025-26 receipts fell 68% to INR12.09 crore, with Prudent Trust and Trident giving INR5 crore, while TDP took INR58.25 crore, echoing the 2013 mandate. Consequently, disclosure pressures concentrate funding among few benefactors, spurring Rajendra Gupta’s 2026 switch to BJP and urging the Election Commission to consider stricter caps.

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Story summary

Aam Aadmi Party reported Rs 12.09 crore in 2025-26 donations, a 68% decline.
Prudent Electoral Trust and Trident Limited each gave Rs 5 crore, together comprising 83% of AAP’s receipts.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajendra Gupta, Trident founder, switched from AAP to BJP in early 2026.
AAP disclosed all donation receipts, unlike parties that report only amounts above Rs 20,000.
Telugu Desam Party received Rs 58.25 crore in 2025-26, with Prudent Electoral Trust providing over 77%.

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