Loss In Loyal Base Brings Loss In Finances: Regional Parties Lose Both To BJP, Except A Few

Three regional parties - Samajwadi Party (SP) from Uttar Pradesh, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) from Tamil Nadu and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) from Telangana made up almost 46 per cent of the total income of around 37 other regional outfits, said an Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) report.

In terms of expenditure, SP again topped the list with a total expenditure of Rs 34.59 crore. The DMK followed it with Rs 27.47 crore and the Andhra Pradesh-based Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with Rs 16.73 crore.

In an interesting turn, 15 parties have shown diminished income when compared to previous years, while 19 have reported a steady rise in their income, as per a report in New Indian Express.

Commenting on the decline in income of regional parties, a research scholar at ADR cited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the reason. “The regional outfits hitherto had a very loyal base, but with the BJP emerging as a strong opponent even of the regional outfits, the loyalty and the finances for these parties have dwindled,” she said.