BJP tops in electoral bond encashment with over Rs 6,000 crore: EC data

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also encashed electoral bonds worth more than Rs 500 crore each during the specified period.

According to recent data released by the Election Commission, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the top beneficiary of electoral bonds, encashing bonds worth Rs 6,060.5 crore between April 12, 2019, and January 24, 2024. This amount is the highest among all political parties.

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured the second spot, receiving Rs 1,609.50 crore via electoral bonds. Congress occupied the third spot, collecting Rs 1,421.9 crore through this route.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also encashed electoral bonds worth more than Rs 500 crore each during the specified period.

Other parties that redeemed electoral bonds include AIADMK, Shiv Sena, TDP, YSR Congress, JDS, NCP, JDU, RJD, AAP, and the Samajwadi Party, according to the data.

The EC was given a deadline of March 15 to publish the data.

The Election Commission has published details of the electoral bond data received from the State Bank of India (SBI) on its website.

According to the Election Commission, the data has been shared in two parts. The first set of data shows the name of the purchaser and denomination of the bonds while the second set of data shows the political parties and denomination of the bonds encashed by them.

However, the data does not show any correlation between the donor and beneficiary. Thus, it is not possible to link the donor to the receiver.

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In a statement, the poll panel said that it has uploaded the data on its website as received from SBI on an "as is where is basis" after the Supreme Court's directions.

It said that the data can be accessed at www.eci.govt.in/candidate-political party.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has filed an application for the modification of SC order in the electoral bonds case, seeking that data submitted to the court be returned to the poll body as the EC has not maintained copies of the same.

In a landmark ruling on February 15, 2024, a five-judge Constitution bench had scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it "unconstitutional" and ordered disclosure by the EC of donors, the amount donated by them and the recipients.