BJP bagged over 70% of total electoral donation; Serum Institute, Nippon among top donors in FY 23: Report

A report published by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on the electoral bonds funding political parties in India in financial year 2022 23 (FY23), has revealed that , Adar Poonawalla headed Serum Institute of India (SII), and Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India has emerged as the highest donors.

Further the ADR also mentioned that of the total 366.495 crore funding that political parties received, emerged as the recipient of the highest amount 259.08 crore or 70.69 per cent. The report mentions, Prudent Electoral Trust donated 256.25 crore to , in contrast to 336.50 in FY 2021 2022, hinting at a significant drop for the political party which received the highest donation.

In 2021 22, the BJP declared 1,033.70 crore through electoral bonds but only 614.52 crore through other contributions. Another electoral trust Samaj ET Association donated 1.50 crore to BJP in FY23, and 50 lakhs to Congress. The report by ADR reveals that five electoral trusts received contributions for FY 23, of which 366.48 crore (99.99 per cent) to various political parties.

The report reveals that Telangana's former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received the second highest donation 90 crore, or 24.56 per cent. Andhra Pradesh based , Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and led Congress received a total funding of 17.40 crore collectively, ADR report stated.

Of the corporates, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure, and emerged as the top donors. Megha Engineering and Infrastructure made the highest contribution of 87 crore, followed by Serum Institute of India at 50.25 crore, and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd at 50 crore. According to the ADR report, ten corporates gave 332.26 crore, or 90.66 per cent of the total donations, to electoral trusts during FY23.

All these 10 donors contributed to Prudent Electoral Trust. Corporates and individuals from contributed 145.51 crore, followed by 105.25 crore from , 50.20 crore from Gujarat, 30.08 crore from West Bengal, 10 crore from Haryana, 7 crore from Tamil Nadu, 6.5 crore from Madhya Pradesh, 3 crore each from Andhra Pradesh and Delhi and 2 crore from .

ADR said 13 of the 18 electoral trusts, registered with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), submitted their contribution details for FY23 to the , of which, only five declared that they received donations during that year. Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world to know more.

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