Part VIII · The State
Chapter 30
Public Expenditure
30.1Scope
Who spends India’s public money.1
The arena is measured by combined Union and state spending controlled, cash transfers to citizens and state social-sector spending.
30.2Significance
Welfare, freebies, contracts, ads. Borrowed power that leaves when the BJP leaves office.
30.3Indicators and weights
Table 30.1 lists the 3 indicators of the arena, the weight of each within the arena, and each indicator’s reading (the Hindutva-aligned share, from 0 to 100).
Table 30.1. Indicators of arena 7.2
| Indicator | Weight | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Combined spending controlled, 2026-27 | 0.60 | 82.9 |
| Cash to citizens (DBT and state cash schemes) | 0.25 | 80.2 |
| State social-sector spending in NDA-run states | 0.15 | 75.2 |
| Arena reading | 1.00 | 81.1 |
30.4Reading
The arena reads 81.1, 31.1 points above parity, and is classified as aligned majority (a reading of 60 or above). With a weight of 3 of a total 107.7, it contributes 2.26 points to the composite reading of 45.7.
050100
Combined spending controlled, 2026-2782.9
Cash to citizens (DBT and state cash schemes)80.2
State social-sector spending in NDA-run states75.2
Arena reading81.1
Hindutva-alignedOpposed
Each bar divides the indicator between Hindutva-aligned (left) and opposed (right) holdings. The vertical rule marks parity.
30.5Measures and exhibits
The exhibits below are the Atlas’s own views of the data behind each measure: shares by side, the largest units, breakdowns by source, recipient and country, money-flow diagrams and time series. Full row-level ledgers are in the data file (Appendix D).
Measure 1. Combined spending controlled, 2026-27
Reading 82.9%
Union net spending ₹42.53 lakh cr held + NDA states.
Union (net), NDA 42.5 ₹ lakh cr · 38.2%BJP CM 45.9 ₹ lakh cr · 41.2%NDA ally 3.92 ₹ lakh cr · 3.5%INDIA bloc 12.5 ₹ lakh cr · 11.2%Other party 6.57 ₹ lakh cr · 5.9%
Data table
| ₹ lakh cr | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Union (net), NDA | 42.5 | 38.2% |
| BJP CM | 45.9 | 41.2% |
| NDA ally | 3.92 | 3.5% |
| INDIA bloc | 12.5 | 11.2% |
| Other party | 6.57 | 5.9% |
BJP CM 73.4 % · 73.4%NDA ally 4.34 % · 4.3%INDIA bloc 14.5 % · 14.5%Other party 7.74 % · 7.7%
Data table
| % | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| BJP CM | 73.4 | 73.4% |
| NDA ally | 4.34 | 4.3% |
| INDIA bloc | 14.5 | 14.5% |
| Other party | 7.74 | 7.7% |
BJP CMNDA allyINDIA blocOther party
Data table
| ₹ lakh cr | Side | |
|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 8.51 | BJP CM |
| Maharashtra | 7.69 | BJP CM |
| Tamil Nadu | 4.73 | Other party |
| Karnataka | 4.13 | INDIA bloc |
| Rajasthan | 4.06 | BJP CM |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3.89 | BJP CM |
| West Bengal | 3.84 | BJP CM |
| Gujarat | 3.6 | BJP CM |
| Bihar | 3.25 | BJP CM |
| Andhra Pradesh | 3.1 | NDA ally |
| Telangana | 3.01 | INDIA bloc |
| Odisha | 2.88 | BJP CM |
| Kerala | 2.28 | INDIA bloc |
| Haryana | 1.88 | BJP CM |
| Chhattisgarh | 1.72 | BJP CM |
| Punjab | 1.67 | Other party |
| Jharkhand | 1.5 | INDIA bloc |
| Assam | 1.48 | BJP CM |
| Jammu and Kashmir (UT) | 1.06 | INDIA bloc |
| Delhi (NCT) | 0.99 | BJP CM |
| Uttarakhand | 0.84 | BJP CM |
| Himachal Pradesh | 0.5 | INDIA bloc |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 0.35 | BJP CM |
| Tripura | 0.34 | BJP CM |
| Meghalaya | 0.29 | NDA ally |
| Goa | 0.28 | BJP CM |
| Manipur | 0.25 | BJP CM |
| Nagaland | 0.21 | NDA ally |
| Sikkim | 0.18 | NDA ally |
| Mizoram | 0.17 | Other party |
Hindutva-aligned 92,29,298 ₹ crore · 82.9%Opposed 19,03,596 ₹ crore · 17.1%Transactional 0 ₹ crore · 0.0%Neutral / not counted 0 ₹ crore · 0.0%
Data table
| ₹ crore | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Hindutva-aligned | 92,29,298 | 82.9% |
| Opposed | 19,03,596 | 17.1% |
| Transactional | 0 | 0.0% |
| Neutral / not counted | 0 | 0.0% |
Hindutva-alignedOpposed
Data table
| ₹ crore | Side | |
|---|---|---|
| Union Government | 42,52,801 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Uttar Pradesh government | 8,50,901 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Maharashtra government | 7,69,467 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Tamil Nadu government | 4,72,585 | Opposed |
| Karnataka government | 4,12,688 | Opposed |
| Rajasthan government | 4,05,632 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Madhya Pradesh government | 3,88,923 | Hindutva-aligned |
| West Bengal government | 3,84,169 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Gujarat government | 3,60,122 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Bihar government | 3,24,925 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Andhra Pradesh government | 3,10,058 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Telangana government | 3,01,209 | Opposed |
| Odisha government | 2,88,000 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Kerala government | 2,27,567 | Opposed |
| Haryana government | 1,87,556 | Hindutva-aligned |
Hindutva-aligned ₹18,44,729 cr · 79.3%Opposed ₹4,81,878 cr · 20.7%
Left: where the money comes from · Middle: the camp it strengthens · Right: where it goes
Hindutva-alignedOpposedTransactionalNeutral / not counted
Data table
| Hindutva-aligned | Opposed | Transactional | Neutral / not counted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Government (Ministry of Finance) | 18,44,729 | 4,81,878 | 0 | 0 | 23,26,607 |
Hindutva-alignedOpposedTransactionalNeutral / not counted
Data table
| Hindutva-aligned | Opposed | Transactional | Neutral / not counted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh government | 3,67,683 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,67,683 |
| Bihar government | 2,10,074 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,10,074 |
| West Bengal government | 1,81,512 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,81,512 |
| Madhya Pradesh government | 1,66,642 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,66,642 |
| Maharashtra government | 1,64,473 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,64,473 |
| Rajasthan government | 1,34,637 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,34,637 |
| Odisha government | 1,07,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,07,500 |
| Andhra Pradesh government | 96,820 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 96,820 |
| Tamil Nadu government | 0 | 95,453 | 0 | 0 | 95,453 |
| Karnataka government | 0 | 79,050 | 0 | 0 | 79,050 |
| Gujarat government | 77,553 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77,553 |
| Assam government | 76,113 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76,113 |
Measure 2. Cash to citizens (DBT and state cash schemes)
Reading 80.2%
Union cash DBT ₹3.26 lakh cr + state cash schemes ₹3.76 lakh cr (NDA states 63%).
Hindutva-aligned 11,18,371 ₹ crore · 83.1%Opposed 2,26,713 ₹ crore · 16.9%Transactional 0 ₹ crore · 0.0%Neutral / not counted 0 ₹ crore · 0.0%
Data table
| ₹ crore | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Hindutva-aligned | 11,18,371 | 83.1% |
| Opposed | 2,26,713 | 16.9% |
| Transactional | 0 | 0.0% |
| Neutral / not counted | 0 | 0.0% |
Hindutva-alignedOpposed
Data table
| ₹ crore | Side | |
|---|---|---|
| DBT Bharat 2025-26: OTHERS | 2,38,729 | Hindutva-aligned |
| DBT Bharat 2025-26: FERTILIZER | 1,97,730 | Hindutva-aligned |
| DBT Bharat 2025-26: PDS | 1,65,081 | Hindutva-aligned |
| DBT Bharat 2025-26: MGNREGS | 65,218 | Hindutva-aligned |
| DBT Bharat 2025-26: PMAYG | 49,189 | Hindutva-aligned |
| West Bengal: Annapurna Bhandar (Rs 3,000/month to women; replaced Lakshmir Bhandar) | 36,000 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Rajasthan: Grants for non-revision of electricity tariffs | 29,432 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Karnataka: Gruha Lakshmi (Rs 2,000/month to women heads) | 28,608 | Opposed |
| Andhra Pradesh: NTR Bharosa pensions | 27,719 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Maharashtra: Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (Rs 1,500/month) | 26,500 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Madhya Pradesh: Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana (Rs 1,500/month) | 23,883 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Uttar Pradesh: Power subsidy | 21,500 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Karnataka: Free power to irrigation pump sets | 19,290 | Opposed |
| Telangana: Rythu Bharosa (farmer investment support) | 18,000 | Opposed |
| DBT Bharat 2025-26: PAHAL | 17,430 | Hindutva-aligned |
Measure 3. State social-sector spending in NDA-run states
Reading 75.2%
From PRS top-10 sector tables, moves with the NDA share of state population.
Hindutva-aligned 17,72,083 ₹ crore · 75.2%Opposed 5,84,763 ₹ crore · 24.8%Transactional 0 ₹ crore · 0.0%Neutral / not counted 0 ₹ crore · 0.0%
Data table
| ₹ crore | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Hindutva-aligned | 17,72,083 | 75.2% |
| Opposed | 5,84,763 | 24.8% |
| Transactional | 0 | 0.0% |
| Neutral / not counted | 0 | 0.0% |
Hindutva-alignedOpposed
Data table
| ₹ crore | Side | |
|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 2,58,210 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Uttar Pradesh: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 2,31,275 | Hindutva-aligned |
| West Bengal: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,85,214 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Rajasthan: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,62,482 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Karnataka: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,40,471 | Opposed |
| Madhya Pradesh: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,30,496 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Andhra Pradesh: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,29,888 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Tamil Nadu: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,29,424 | Opposed |
| Bihar: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,29,131 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Gujarat: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,18,130 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Telangana: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,14,192 | Opposed |
| Odisha: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 1,12,238 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Kerala: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 67,175 | Opposed |
| Haryana: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 62,649 | Hindutva-aligned |
| Chhattisgarh: social-sector outlay (sum of listed social sectors) | 61,801 | Hindutva-aligned |
30.6Evidence base
The arena rests on 495 coded units and 88 money flows. Of the units and flows, 423 are coded Hindutva-aligned, 158 opposed and 2 neutral, mixed or transactional. By source grade: 551 grade A, 30 grade B, 2 grade C.
The full set of rows for this arena, each with its source, is in the Atlas data file (Appendix D).
Notes
- Union Budget 2026-27; PRS. ↩