The Election Commission of India has taken a significant step towards enhancing transparency in political funding by publicly releasing the data on electoral bonds provided by the State Bank of India. This move follows a stern directive from the Supreme Court, which set a one-day deadline for the submission of this information and ordered its publication by March 15.
In compliance with the court’s order, the Election Commission has published the electoral bond data on its website “as is where is basis,” emphasizing its commitment to disclosure and transparency. The poll panel’s decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s stance on the matter, as highlighted in its previous proceedings and reiterated in the recent order.
The released data reveals various buyers and redeemers of electoral bonds, including prominent entities such as Grasim Industries, Bharti Airtel, Congress, BJP, and several other political parties. This development follows a landmark verdict by a five-judge Constitution bench in February, which declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional and mandated the disclosure of donor details, donation amounts, and recipient parties by the Election Commission. The State Bank of India was directed to provide the electoral bond purchase details to the EC by March 6, with the court dismissing a plea for an extension and ordering timely submission of the data.
The top 10 donors to political parties are
1) Future Gaming and Hotel Services PR (Rs 1208 crore)
2) Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (Rs 821 crore)
3) Qwik Supply Chain Private Limited (Rs 410 crore)
4) Haldia Energy Limited (Rs 377 crore)
5) Vedanta Limited (Rs 375.65 crore)
6) Essel Mining and Industries Limited (Rs 224.5 crore)
7) Western UP Power Transmission Company Limited (Rs 220 crore)
8) Keventer Foodpark Infra Limited (Rs 195 crore)
9) Madanlal Limited (Rs 185.5 crore)
10) Bharti Airtel Limited (Rs 183 crore)
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