Seats in 2004 zero, donations crores

They did not win a single seat in 2004, but when it came to voluntary donations, they outperformed even recognised national parties.

As per election commission records, 12 unrecognised parties received over Rs12.22 crore in donation between ’03 and ’07, some raising much more than national parties.

For example, the Faridabad-headquartered Rashtriya Vikas Party (RVP), which claims to have contested five parliamentary seats in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and outer Delhi in 2004, collected Rs7.50 crore from “party workers” and “sympathisers” during 2003-’07.

In 2004-05, the party had more recorded donor entries at 276 than the Congress, 163, and was slightly behind the BJP, which recorded 308 contributions.

“People might say I have collected crores in donation, but I have nothing to fear. My paperwork is in order, you cannot point out a single error,” RVP president MP Sharma said.

The party raised Rs7.50 crore at a time when recognised parties such as the Shiv Sena managed only Rs4.17 crore, the Samajwadi Party Rs2.44 crore and the CPI and CPI(M) together Rs94.81 lakh.

Not to be left behind, the Parmarth Party, which had an office in Kamla Nagar, Delhi, before it shifted base to Sonepat, Haryana, collected Rs2.55 crore between ’03 and ’07. Donors claim they know little about the party.

There are many more such unknown parties that have collected massive donations. The Lok Satta Party, which has its head office in Hyderabad, received over Rs80 lakh, and the Rashtriya Samajwadi Party (United), which runs its operations from Ashok Vihar Phase-II, Delhi, collected Rs30.44 lakh.