In the 2023-24 financial year, the BJP received Rs.2,244 crore through electoral bonds, while Congress got Rs. 289 crore in donations of Rs.20,000 and above. This shows a big difference in the financial support received by the two major parties. The BJP’s contributions through electoral bonds were much higher than Congress’s. This data highlights the continuing importance of electoral bonds in political funding.
In the financial year 2023-24, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received Rs. 2,244 crore in contributions of Rs.20,000 and above from individuals, trusts, and corporate entities, which is more than three times the amount it received in 2022-23.
In contrast, the Congress party Obtained approximately Rs. 289 crore in similar contributions during the same period.
For the fiscal year 2022-23, the BJP collected Rs.1,300 crore through electoral bonds, while the Congress received a mere Rs. 171 crore.
Read Also: Electoral Bonds Case | Chronology of Events
Among the top contributors for 2023-24 were DLF (Rs.100 crore), ArcelorMittal (75 crore), Maruti Suzuki (Rs. 60 crore), Megha Engineering (Rs.50 crore), Hetero Labs (Rs.50 crore), Apollo Tyres (Rs.50 crore), Bharti Airtel (Rs.6 crore), RPSG Group led by Sanjiv Goenka (Rs.10 crore), and Haldia Energy (Rs.10 crore).
The largest donor to both the BJP and Congress was Prudent Electoral Trust, which contributed Rs.724 crore to the BJP and Rs.156 crore to the Congress in 2023-24.
Additionally, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by K Chandrasekhar Rao, received the second-highest amount from the Prudent Electoral Trust, totaling Rs.580 crore. Notable contributors to Prudent in the previous year included Megha Engineering and Infrastructure India, Bharti Airtel, Serum Institute, and ArcelorMittal.
The Prudent Electoral Trust, formerly known as the Satya Electoral Trust, is recognized as the largest electoral trust in India. According to the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), it is supported by Bharti Enterprises, the parent company of Bharti Airtel.
The trust also receives significant funding from Future Gaming and Hotel Services, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure India, Bharti Infratel, and Philips Carbon Black.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been disclosing the donations received by political parties following the Supreme Court’s decision in February 2024 to invalidate the electoral bonds scheme. A five-judge Constitution bench mandated that the ECI reveal the identities of donors, the amounts contributed, and the recipients.
The electoral bonds scheme, introduced on January 28, 2017, by the late Arun Jaitley, aimed to ensure transparency in political funding. These bonds, issued exclusively by the State Bank of India, served as a financial instrument that allowed individuals and corporations to contribute to political parties discreetly.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
