Massive increase in TRS income from workers

Hyderabad: The TRS’s maximum funding came from its grassroots-level workers in the form of annual subscription, and next from voluntary donations by individuals or party leaders, reveals the 2017-18 audit report of the party.

The ruling party received an income of Rs 22.9 crore in 2018 as subscription fee against Rs 2.89 crore in 2017. This indicates a multi-fold hike in registrations and in the growth of the pink party.

Donations pulled in Rs 3.30 crore and income from other sources was Rs 1.05 crore. In total, the TRS received Rs 27.27 crore in funding in 2018, a nine-fold increase from the previous year.

Sources told this correspondent that the grassroots staff of the TRS was given targets to increase party membership. Several membership drives were also held for fresh enrolments. This is a general trend followed by political parties especially ahead of elections.  

"Each member once enrolled is supposed to pay an annual subscription which is a nominal fee fixed by the party.  The member is provided with an ID card and is covered under insurance. That is, if the member meets with an accident while attending a party meeting, the person is insured," said a TRS member.

The audit report (a copy of which is in the possession of this newspaper) mentions that from the Rs 27.27 crore funds, the party incurred a total expenditure of Rs 12.07 crore. The spending includes election expenditure - Rs 29 lakh, employee cost Rs 14.37 crore and the maximum expenditure was for administrative and general expenses- Rs 10.92 crore.   The party holds a liability of Rs 36 lakh as on March 2018 and balance amount held by the TRS party is Rs 15 crore.

AIMIM funds up
The home-grown All India Majlis Ittihadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party has also received a considerable increase in funds through various avenues in 2018. The kite party received Rs 8.34 lakh as donations, Rs 89.02 lakh as interest on FDRs and the rest through rents and share of income from Darussalam Board. The total revenue received by the party was Rs 12.06 crore in 2018.

Landslide loss in revenue of TD

The ruling Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh saw a drastic drop in revenue from its primary source —  the party membership fee — according to its own audit report.

In 2017, the party received revenue of Rs 6.07 crore in the form of annual subscription from members; this plunged to 1.79 crore, a five-fold drop, in 2018.

The overall funds for the TD plunged from Rs 72.92 crore in 2017 to Rs 19.40 crore in 2018.  

However, money came in from voluntary donations. The TD received Rs 9.2 crore in 2018 against Rs 6.8 crore in the previous year from this source. It received '8.3 crore from other sources which it has not named. In total, the TD received '19.40 crore in 2017-18, less by '53 crore approximately than the previous year.

Comparing the two regional parties in power, the TD is richer than the TRS in revenue received through donations. However, the TD has a head start being established in 1982, while the TRS came into being in 2001. Also, the TD ruled united Andhra Pradesh for three terms — 1983, 1985 and 1994 — and came to power in 2014 in AP.

As per the audit report submitted by the TD to the Election Commission of India, the maximum the party spent was on administration and general expenses — Rs 7.16 crore, followed by poll expenditure of Rs 6.38 crore.