The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on the petitions challenging the validity of the Central government’s electoral bond scheme. The court directed the Election Commission to provide all data on donations received by political parties through the electoral bond scheme until September 30 of this year within two weeks.
A five-judge constitution bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, expressed concerns about the electoral bond scheme potentially being used to legitimize quid pro quo relationships between power centers and those who benefit from that power. The court emphasized the importance of reducing the cash component in the electoral process.
The pleas against the government’s scheme, introduced in 2017, were filed by various parties, including Congress leader Jaya Thakur, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). During the hearings, the bench noted that it would not compel the State Bank of India to disclose the identity of donors at this stage but expressed interest in understanding the extent of bonds subscribed. One of the key issues raised by the petitioners was the secrecy surrounding the identity of donors under the scheme.
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