Election Commission uploads electoral bonds data furnished by SBI following Supreme Court order. Details here

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday uploaded the electoral bonds data on its website as per the orders of the Supreme Court (SC). The State Bank of India (SBI) handed over the electoral bonds data to the election body on Tuesday, and to comply with the Supreme Court order, the commission published it on its website.

Electoral Bond data: Check list of top donors as Election Commission releases data

The publication of the electoral bond data came almost a month after the Supreme Court struck down the 2018 scheme calling it “unconstitutional.” The apex court asked the SBI to furnish all the details related to electoral bonds with the ECI, which should disclose the details by March 13. 

The SBI approached the Supreme Court seeking time till June 2024 to comply with the order, but the apex court rejected its plea and asked the bank to hand over the electoral bond data to the ECI by March 12.

“In compliance of Hon’ble Supreme Court's directions, contained in its order dated Feb 15 & March 11, 2024 (in the matter of WPC NO.880 of 2017), the State Bank of India (SBI) had provided the data pertaining to the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 12, 2024," the commission said in a statement on Thursday, March 14.

"The Election Commission of India has today uploaded the data on electoral bonds on its website as received from SBI on “as is where is basis”. The data as received from SBI can be accessed at this url: https://www.eci.gov.in/candidate-politicalparty," the statement added.

In its statement, the ECI emphasised its commitment to disclosure and transparency. "It may be recalled that in the said matter, ECI has consistently and categorically weighed in favour of disclosure and transparency, a position reflected in the proceedings of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and noted in the order also,” the election body added.

SBI data on electoral bonds

The SBI shared two sets of data with the Election Commission. The first set includes the name of the purchaser of the electoral bond, date, and denomination. The second list lays out details of the political party and dates and denomination of bonds encashed.

The data reveals key details like the name of the electoral bond purchaser and the amount they donated through the bond. It pertains to the purchase of electoral bonds in the denomination of ₹1 lakh, ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore. 

The donors include a range of companies like Megha Engineering and Infrastructure, Future Gaming and Hotel Services (Lottery Martin), Sun Pharma, Lakshmi Mittal, Sula Wine, DLF Commercial Developers, etc. The list mentions almost all major political parties in India as receivers of the electoral bonds including BJP, Congress, AITMC, BRS, AIDMK, TDP, YSR Congress, AAP, SP, JD(U) etc.