’60 percent of electoral bonds directed to BJP’ Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claims

The Congress claimed on Friday that 60 percent of the electoral bonds had been directed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), following the publication of electoral bonds data by the Election Commission, as mandated by the Supreme Court.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress’s general secretary in charge of communications, spoke to ANI during the Maharashtra leg of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, stating, “I have analyzed it (electoral bonds)…The analysis shows how the electoral bonds were misused. 60 percent of the electoral bonds went to the BJP. I have shown through the analysis how the ED, CBI and Income Tax have also been misused…”

Ramesh further alleged, “Those who have donated were awarded contracts and other projects. It is a joint conspiracy.”

The electoral bond beneficiaries encompassed several prominent political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Shiv Sena, YSR Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Aam Aadmi Party, and Jana Sena Party.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Election Commission uploaded the electoral bonds data on its website, sourced from SBI, with Future Gaming and Hotel Services and Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd ranking among the top donors to political parties.

The disclosed data included donors such as Finolex Cables Ltd, Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, Edelweiss Housing Finance Ltd, GHCL Ltd, Jindal Poly Films Limited, ITC Limited, Vedanta Limited, and many others.

SBI informed the Supreme Court that the data covered bonds purchased and redeemed between April 12, 2019, and February 15, 2024. During this period, a total of 22,217 bonds were purchased.

Electoral bonds were described as instruments akin to promissory notes or bearer bonds, available for purchase by individuals, companies, firms, or associations of persons, provided they were citizens of India or incorporated/established in India. These bonds were exclusively issued for the purpose of contributing funds to political parties.

The issuance and purchase of these bonds were permitted for various denominations, ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,00,00,000, through specified branches of the State Bank of India.

Multiple petitions were presented before the apex court challenging amendments made to different statutes through the Finance Act 2017 and Finance Act 2016, arguing that they facilitated unchecked funding of political parties.