BJP spent more in Bengal than Congress did across 5 state polls: Election Commission filings

The BJP spent Rs 286.99 crore on the West Bengal elections alone, more than the Rs 248.55 crore the Congress spent across four states and a Union territory that went to polls earlier this year, according to expenditure statements filed with the Election Commission.

Bengal accounted for more than half of the BJP's Rs 529.38-crore expenditure on the five elections, the other four being in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The party spent Rs 217.16 crore on general campaigning in Bengal and Rs 69.83 crore on candidates.

The BJP ousted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and came to power for the first time in Bengal. It won 207 of the 293 seats for which results were declared, against 80 for the TMC.