The Election Commission of India has made public the details regarding electoral bonds on its website, just a day before the designated deadline. This move comes after the Supreme Court’s directive to disclose information pertaining to donors, political parties, and the amounts involved in the now-defunct electoral bond scheme.
The data, submitted by the State Bank of India on March 12, was published by the Election Commission as it received the information. This development comes in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on February 15, which deemed the anonymous political funding scheme as unconstitutional and mandated disclosure of donor details. The apex court rejected SBI’s plea for an extended deadline till June 30 and ordered the bank to furnish all relevant information to the Election Commission by March 15.
In compliance with the court’s decision and reflecting its commitment to transparency, the Election Commission promptly uploaded the electoral bonds data on its website. The disclosed information encompasses details of entities purchasing electoral bonds, including renowned names like Apollo Tyres, Lakshmi Mittal, Edelweiss, PVR, Keventer, Sula Wine, Welspun, and Sun Pharma.
Interestingly, notable conglomerates such as the Adani Group and Reliance Industries were not listed among the buyers. Furthermore, the data reveals recipients of funds through these bonds, spanning across various political parties including BJP, Congress, AIADMK, Shiv Sena, TDP, DMK, NCP, Trinamool Congress, AAP, and others.
Electoral bonds, introduced in 2017-18 as a means for Indian political parties to receive funding, have been a subject of controversy. The State Bank of India has issued bonds totaling ₹16,518 crore across 30 tranches since the inception of the scheme.
Soucrces By Agencies