BJP Redeems ₹6061 Crore Worth of Electoral Bonds, TMC Surpasses Congress: Election Commission Data
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has redeemed electoral bonds worth ₹6061 crore, making it the highest beneficiary among all political parties, according to data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Surprisingly, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) emerged as the second-largest beneficiary, redeeming bonds worth ₹1610 crore, surpassing the Congress which stood at ₹1422 crore.
The ECI’s data indicates that a total of 1260 companies and individuals purchased 22,217 electoral bonds amounting to ₹12,155.51 crore between 2019 and 2024. Notable among the donors is Tamil Nadu-based Future Gaming and Hotel Services, which contributed the highest sum of ₹1368 crore. Other significant contributors include Andhra Pradesh-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (₹891 crore), Qwik Supply Chain Private Limited (₹410 crore), Vedanta Limited (₹400 crore), and Haldia Energy Limited (₹377 crore).
Several prominent names from the corporate sector were also identified among the donors, including steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Bharti Airtel, ITC, Mahindra and Mahindra, DLF, PVR, and various others. Notably, Sunil Mittal’s three companies collectively purchased bonds worth ₹246 crore, while Lakshmi Niwas Mittal individually bought bonds worth ₹35 crore.
The State Bank of India (SBI) informed the Supreme Court that out of the total electoral bonds, 22030 were redeemed between April 1, 2019, and February 15. The buyers of electoral bonds include a wide range of companies such as Spicejet, IndiGo, Grasim Industries, Piramal Enterprises, Bharti Airtel, and more.
The scheme benefitted a diverse array of political parties, including BJP, Congress, AIADMK, BRS, Shiv Sena, TDP, YSR Congress, DMK, JD-S, NCP, Trinamool Congress, and others. Individual donors include Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Varun Gupta, B K Goenka, and others, with notable companies like Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finance, and Spicejet also participating in the scheme.
