1. Electoral bond data, made public by the Election Commission, reveals substantial funding for political parties.
2. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Congress identified as top beneficiaries.
3. State Bank of India (SBI) submitted the data following a directive from the Supreme Court.
New Delhi, March 15: The recently disclosed data on electoral bonds has shed light on the substantial funding received by various political parties, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Congress emerging as the top beneficiaries.
Following a directive from the Supreme Court, the State Bank of India (SBI) submitted the electoral bond data to the Election Commission, which subsequently made it public on its website.
According to the data, the BJP secured the lion’s share of funding, receiving over Rs 6,061 crore through electoral bonds.
The TMC and Congress followed closely, garnering Rs 1,610 crore and Rs 1,422 crore, respectively.
Other notable recipients include the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which received Rs 1,215 crore, and the Biju Janta Dal, which obtained Rs 776 crore.
Additionally, several other political parties, such as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Shiv Sena, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSR Congress), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal (United) (JDU), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), also received funding through electoral bonds.
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The SBI, responsible for issuing electoral bonds, disclosed that the BJP encashed the highest value of bonds, accounting for 47% or Rs 6,060 crore of the total.
Following closely, the TMC and Congress utilized 13% (Rs 1,609 crore) and 11% (Rs 1,421 crore) of the bonds, respectively.
Notably, the SBI issued bonds totaling Rs 16,518 crore across 30 tranches between April 2019 and February 15, 2024.
However, the discrepancy arises from the fact that the list of bond purchases is recorded until January 11, 2024, while the list of bond encashments extends until January 24, 2024.
This disparity in dates may account for the differences observed in the total amounts.
Overall, the disclosure of electoral bond data provides valuable insights into the financial support received by political parties, underscoring the significance of transparency and accountability in electoral funding processes.
