The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday uploaded on its website the data on funds received by various political parties, including the BJP, Congress, AIADMK, DMK, and Mamata Banerjee's TMC via the electoral bond scheme. As per the new data, Future Gaming is the top donor for MK Stalin's DMK.
The new data by the ECI shows the date of issuance of the electoral bonds, the denomination of funds, the number of bonds, and the issuing State Bank of India (SBI) branch. The information also contains dates of receipt and credit at the parties' bank accounts. It, however, does not include the bond numbers, which can link the donors to the recipients.
Political funding through electoral bonds
The BJP received the maximum funds through electoral bonds at Rs 6,986.5 cr since they were introduced in 2018, followed by Trinamool Congress (Rs 1,397 crore), Congress (Rs 1,334 crore) and BRS (Rs 1,322 crore).
Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is the fourth largest recipient of funds via electoral bonds. The BRS encashed bonds worth around Rs 1,322 crore, as per the data furnished by the poll panel.
Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) encashed electoral bonds worth Rs 944.50 crore, followed by Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress (Rs 442.80 crore), and N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party or TDP (Rs 181.35 crore).
Top purchaser of electoral bonds Future Gaming and Hotel Services donated Rs 509 crore to Tamil Nadu's ruling party DMK through the now scrapped payment mode, the Election Commission data showed on Sunday.
The JD(S) received bonds worth Rs 89.75 crore, including Rs 50 crore from Megha Engineering, the second-largest purchaser of electoral bonds. Future Gaming of lottery king Santiago Martin was the biggest purchaser of electoral bonds at Rs 1,368 crore, of which nearly 37 per cent went to the DMK.
Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party got Rs 14.05 crore via electoral bonds, Shiromani Akali Dal Rs 7.26 crore, AIADMK Rs 6.05 crore, and National Conference Rs 50 lakh. The Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) have said they have not received any donations via the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme.
Supreme Court on electoral bonds
The new data comes days after the ECI approached the Supreme Court to modify its March 11 order when it dismissed the SBI's plea seeking an extension till June 30 to furnish the electoral bonds data.
During the hearing on March 15, the top court questioned SBI for not disclosing electoral bonds data. "We had said all details had to be handed over to Election Commission (EC). They (SBI) have not disclosed the bond numbers. It has to be disclosed by the State Bank of India," CJI D Y Chandrachud said.
Lok Sabha poll dates
The release of the new electoral bonds data comes a day after the Election Commission notified the dates for the upcoming general elections. The Lok Sabha polls will be held in 7 phases from April 19 to June 1 and the results will be declared on June 4.