Following directives from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has made new data on electoral bonds available on its website. Political parties had submitted this data in sealed envelopes to the Election Commission. With the details now public, startling revelations have emerged. According to the information, the ruling DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) in Tamil Nadu has received donations amounting to 665.5 crore rupees through electoral bonds, 77% of which, amounting to 509 crores, came from Santiago Martin's Future Gaming.
Future Gaming Purchases Majority Electoral Bonds
The Election Commission reports that Future Gaming has bought the most electoral bonds worth 1,368 crores. Of these, 37% were redeemed by the party of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. Additionally, DMK received donations from Megha Engineering of 105 crores, India Cements of 14 crores, and Sun TV of 100 crores through electoral bonds.
According to a news agency report, major donors to the DMK through electoral bonds include names like Megha Engineering, India Cements, and Sun TV.
BJP Bags the Largest Share of Donations
The Election Commission's website reveals that between April 2018 to 2023, BJP received the highest donation of 6,986.5 crore rupees across the country. During this period, there were eight instances when BJP received a donation of one billion rupees or more in a single day through electoral bonds. Trailing BJP is the Trinamool Congress of West Bengal with donations of 1,397 crores, followed by Congress with 1,334 crores, and BRS with 1,322 crores at the fourth spot.
EC Releases New Figures
The Election Commission has now made public the details of electoral bonds submitted by political parties under sealed cover. It is believed that these details pertain to the period before April 12, 2019. Electoral bond details after this date were made public by the election panel last week. The Election Commission stated in a release that political parties complied with the Supreme Court's interim order of April 12, 2019, and had submitted their electoral bond data in sealed envelopes.
