#01 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹11.8 lakh cr
Five more years of free ration
VS
₹26,816 cr for DRDO
44.0×
That is roughly 44 DRDOs. The missiles are now made of wheat.five-year Union estimate vs FY 2025–26 BE
INDIA’S ELECTION FREEBIE INDEX · 2005—2026
Nothing is ever
really free.
A public record of goods, cash, waivers and zero-price services implemented—or announced by the party that won—around Indian elections.
234announcements indexed
31states covered
178launched or implemented
62%primary-source records
01 / SCOPEWhat counts
What counts
here?
We include election-linked, non-targeted or broadly targeted goods, cash transfers, utility subsidies, free transport and waivers—but only when they were implemented or announced by the party/alliance that won.
Losing-party promises are excluded. We also don’t automatically label public education, healthcare, infrastructure or emergency relief as freebies. Every entry exposes its source and delivery status.
02 / THE INDEX
Follow the promises.
Showing 234 of 234 records
Year / placeAnnouncementTypeStatusGovt. costEvidence
03 / THE LEADERBOARDWho brings the
Who brings the
biggest bill?
Parties and named alliances ranked by the sum of cost figures we could source. It is a transparent proxy—not an apples-to-apples lifetime total—because published figures mix annual allocations, programme totals and actual spend.
RankParty / alliancePublished cost proxyCost coverageDelivered
#01BJP₹14.86 lakh cr60/62 costed37/62
#02Congress₹1.29 lakh cr29/32 costed30/32
#03TDP-led alliance₹92,799 cr10/10 costed5/10
#04Mahayuti₹70,367 cr5/5 costed5/5
#05TVK₹64,590 cr6/6 costed2/6
#06YSRCP₹56,054 cr7/7 costed7/7
#07UPA₹52,420 cr1/1 costed1/1
#08NDA₹41,651 cr4/4 costed4/4
#09TRS₹41,007 cr3/3 costed3/3
#10Congress–JD(S) coalition₹34,000 cr1/1 costed1/1
#11AITC₹26,423 cr5/5 costed5/5
#12AAP₹24,070 cr6/6 costed5/6
#13BJP-led alliance₹23,764 cr8/8 costed6/8
#14AIADMK₹22,303 cr8/8 costed7/8
#15BJP-led government₹18,762 cr1/1 costed1/1
#16JMM-led alliance₹16,430 cr3/3 costed3/3
#17UDF₹15,919 cr4/4 costed2/4
#18DMK₹15,310 cr4/6 costed4/6
#19Samajwadi Party₹8,705 cr5/5 costed4/5
#20BJP-led NDA₹8,354 cr3/3 costed3/3
#21Maha Vikas Aghadi₹7,000 cr1/1 costed1/1
#22BJD₹6,767 cr3/3 costed3/3
#23JD(U)-BJP NDA₹4,112 cr2/2 costed2/2
#24INC₹2,722 cr4/4 costed4/4
#25LDF₹1,502 cr3/3 costed3/3
#26NC-led alliance₹1,047 cr3/3 costed0/3
#27SAD–BJP alliance₹800 cr1/1 costed1/1
#28BJP-led coalition₹715 cr4/4 costed4/4
#29BSP₹500 cr1/1 costed1/1
#30NPP-led MDA₹400 cr1/1 costed1/1
#31MNF₹350 cr1/1 costed1/1
#32AINRC–BJP alliance₹347 cr5/5 costed0/5
#33ZPM₹221 cr2/2 costed2/2
#34Congress–DMK alliance₹166 cr2/2 costed2/2
#35AINRC₹115 cr2/2 costed2/2
#36SKM₹67 cr2/2 costed2/2
#37SAD-BJP alliance₹47 cr1/1 costed1/1
#38NC–Congress coalition₹45 cr1/1 costed1/1
#39SDF₹45 cr1/1 costed1/1
#40Grand Alliance₹38 cr1/1 costed1/1
#41NDPP–BJP alliance₹27 cr2/2 costed0/2
#42CPI(M)-led Left Front₹15 cr1/3 costed3/3
#43JMM–BJP–AJSU coalition₹15 cr1/1 costed1/1
#44Congress-led government₹6 cr2/2 costed2/2
#45PDP–BJP coalition₹3 cr1/1 costed1/1
#46Meghalaya Progressive Alliance₹0 cr0/1 costed1/1
#47INC-led government₹0 cr0/1 costed1/1
#48NPF-led DAN₹0 cr0/1 costed0/1
#49BJP-JJP coalition₹0 cr0/1 costed1/1
Weak cost coverage can make a formation rank artificially low. Shared envelopes are counted once; uncosted records add zero, not a guessed number.
04 / UNHINGED, BUT TRUEWhat else could
What else could
that money buy?
Each card compares a sourced freebie cost with a smaller Union allocation. Organisation figures use FY 2025–26; freebie periods are shown because totals and annual costs are not interchangeable.
#02 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹11.8 lakh cr
Five more years of free ration
VS
₹13,416 cr for Department of Space / ISRO
88.0×
About 88 space budgets. To the moon? First, to the ration shop.five-year Union estimate vs FY 2025–26 BE
#03 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹46,000 cr/yr
Maharashtra Ladki Bahin
VS
₹26,816 cr for DRDO
1.7×
One Ladki Bahin year could fund DRDO—and still leave ₹19,184 crore for chai.full-year estimate vs FY 2025–26 BE
#04 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹46,000 cr/yr
Maharashtra Ladki Bahin
VS
₹26,026 cr for Ministry of Electronics & IT
1.8×
Digital India meets Direct-Deposit India. Direct deposit wins by ₹19,974 crore.full-year estimate vs FY 2025–26 BE
#05 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹36,359 cr
Uttar Pradesh farm-loan waiver
VS
₹26,816 cr for DRDO
1.4×
The waiver clears DRDO with enough change left to invent another acronym.one-time announced cost vs FY 2025–26 BE
#06 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹36,359 cr
Uttar Pradesh farm-loan waiver
VS
₹13,416 cr for Department of Space / ISRO
2.7×
2.7 space budgets. Consider the debt officially in orbit.one-time announced cost vs FY 2025–26 BE
#07 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹17,500 cr/yr
Karnataka Gruha Lakshmi
VS
₹13,416 cr for Department of Space / ISRO
1.3×
Gruha Lakshmi gets ₹4,084 crore more than the people sending things into space.FY 2023–24 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#08 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹17,500 cr/yr
Karnataka Gruha Lakshmi
VS
₹6,658 cr for CSIR
2.6×
Two and a half CSIRs. Peer review has left the chat.FY 2023–24 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#09 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹14,400 cr/yr
West Bengal Lakshmir Bhandar
VS
₹13,416 cr for Department of Space / ISRO
1.1×
A handbag budget larger than the space budget. The moon has no voter ID.FY 2024–25 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#10 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹11,697 cr/yr
Jharkhand Maiya Samman
VS
₹3,360 cr for Ministry of Culture
3.5×
Enough for 3.5 Culture Ministries. Culture may now apply as a beneficiary.FY 2025–26 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#11 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹10,000 cr/yr
Odisha Subhadra Yojana
VS
₹3,794 cr for Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports
2.6×
2.6 national sports budgets. Fiscal gymnastics scores a perfect ten.FY 2024–25 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#12 · REAL BUDGET MATH
≈₹10,000 cr/yr
Karnataka Anna Bhagya
VS
₹2,541 cr for Ministry of Tourism
3.9×
Nearly four Tourism Ministries. Incredible India, complimentary rice included.FY 2023–24 estimate vs FY 2025–26 BE
#13 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹9,513 cr
Rajasthan farm-loan waiver
VS
₹3,412 cr for Ministry of Environment
2.8×
Almost three environment budgets. The fiscal climate remains mostly cloudy.reported eligible loans vs FY 2025–26 BE
#14 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹9,000 cr/yr
Karnataka Gruha Jyothi
VS
₹3,649 cr for Ministry of Earth Sciences
2.5×
2.5 Earth Sciences budgets. The forecast says free electricity with scattered deficits.FY 2023–24 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#15 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹8,415 cr
Madhya Pradesh crop-loan waiver
VS
₹6,658 cr for CSIR
1.3×
A whole CSIR plus ₹1,757 crore. Hypothesis: elections are expensive. Confirmed.reported eligible loans vs FY 2025–26 BE
#16 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹7,850 cr/yr
Madhya Pradesh Ladli Behna
VS
₹4,364 cr for Ministry of Food Processing
1.8×
1.8 Food Processing Ministries. The budget itself has been processed.FY 2023–24 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#17 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹7,780 cr/yr
Punjab free household power
VS
₹3,992 cr for Ministry of AYUSH
1.9×
Nearly two AYUSH ministries. Recommended dosage: 300 units monthly.FY 2023–24 power subsidy vs FY 2025–26 BE
#18 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹7,000 cr/yr
Tamil Nadu women’s cash transfer
VS
₹3,350 cr for Ministry of Minority Affairs
2.1×
Two Minority Affairs ministries, with ₹300 crore left in the envelope.FY 2023–24 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#19 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹6,553 cr
Tamil Nadu appliance bundle
VS
₹3,360 cr for Ministry of Culture
2.0×
Almost two Culture Ministries. Mixie, grinder, fan—and now performance art.programme total estimate vs FY 2025–26 BE
#20 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹5,780 cr
Tamil Nadu farm-loan waiver
VS
₹2,541 cr for Ministry of Tourism
2.3×
More than two Tourism Ministries. The debt took a one-way holiday.programme estimate vs FY 2025–26 BE
#21 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹5,100 cr/yr
Delhi Mahila Samridhi
VS
₹998 cr for CBI
5.1×
Five CBIs. This comparison is currently under investigation.FY 2025–26 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
#22 · REAL BUDGET MATH
₹4,000 cr/yr
Karnataka Shakti bus travel
VS
₹2,541 cr for Ministry of Tourism
1.6×
The bus rides farther than the entire Tourism Ministry budget.FY 2023–24 allocation vs FY 2025–26 BE
Organisation budgets: Union Budget 2025–26 ↗. Freebie cost sources are attached to their tracker rows.
Presence isn’t
completeness.
We audited every Lok Sabha and Assembly cycle since 2005. A cycle counts as directly covered only when a record is tied to that election, its run-up, or the government term it produced.
135election cycles audited
127directly represented
0sourced candidates queued
8documented zero-result searches
Every candidate found in the cycle audit has now been adjudicated and ingested or excluded with a reason. Eight cycles retain explicit negative-search notes where no defensible qualifying item surfaced.
Receipts, not rhetoric.
P1 means a manifesto, government document, court record, budget or official scheme page. S2 means a reputable secondary report awaiting a primary-source upgrade.
This is a living index, not a claim of perfect completeness. Missing records should be added with evidence—not guessed into existence.