Electoral Bond Transparency: List of top doners

New Delhi: In a proactive move, the Election Commission of India (ECI) disclosed detailed figures related to the Electoral Bond Case on Thursday, a day before the Supreme Court’s stipulated deadline. This follows the apex court’s directive requiring the State Bank of India (SBI) to furnish the data to the ECI by March 12. The Supreme Court had initially set a deadline of 5 pm on March 15 for the ECI to make the data public on its official website.

The ECI has organized the ‘Disclosure of Electoral Bonds offered by SBI’ into two distinct sections, ensuring transparency and adherence to the Supreme Court’s historic judgment on February 15. The judgment deemed the Centre’s electoral bond scheme, which permitted anonymous political funding, as “unconstitutional” and mandated the disclosure of donor identities, donation amounts, and recipients.

The released data reveals a diverse array of corporate entities that have purchased electoral bonds, including prominent names such as Grasim Industries, Megha Engineering, and Piramal Enterprises, among others. Political parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, and AIADMK have been listed as the beneficiaries of these bonds.

Below is a detailed table showcasing the major companies and their respective contributions through electoral bonds:

The Supreme Court’s verdict has led to the cancellation of the electoral bond scheme, marking a significant shift towards transparency in political funding. The ECI’s swift response in releasing the data underscores its commitment to upholding the principles of disclosure and accountability as directed by the judiciary.