New Delhi: On Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) complied with the Supreme Court order and published details of the electoral bonds provided by the State Bank of India (SBI) on its website. Notably, this publication occurred a day ahead of the top court’s deadline.
The poll panel was instructed to display the details received from the SBI on its official website by 5 pm on March 15.
The data shared by the poll panel reveals the purchase of electoral bonds, now discontinued, ranging from denominations of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 crore since April 12, 2019.
The information encompasses purchases made by both companies and individuals.
Furthermore, the data unveiled the recipients of funds through electoral bonds, including political parties such as the BJP, Congress, AIADMK, BRS, Shiv Sena, TDP, YSR Congress and others.
Interested individuals can access the electoral bonds data on the Election Commission’s official website (eci.gov.in).
The SBI had furnished the details of entities purchasing electoral bonds and the political parties receiving them to the poll body on Tuesday evening, adhering to the Supreme Court’s order to provide this information.
Taking to X, the ECI said, ” In compliance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directions to the SBI, contained in its order dated Feb 15 & March 11, 2024 (in the matter of WPC NO.880 of 2017), data on electoral bonds has been supplied by the State Bank of India to the Election Commission of India, today, March 12, 2024”.
Since the inception of the scheme in 2018, the SBI has issued Electoral Bonds worth Rs 16,518 crore in 30 tranches. However, in a significant ruling, the Supreme Court invalidated the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme, which permitted anonymous political funding, deeming it “unconstitutional”. Subsequently, the top court mandated disclosure by the Election Commission of donors, the donated amounts, and recipients.
The SBI had requested an extension until June 30 for the disclosure of details. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court rejected this plea and instructed the country’s largest bank to submit all details to the Election Commission by the close of business hours on March 12.
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