<h5>What are electoral bonds?</h5><p>Electoral bonds are certificates that individuals or organisations can purchase and use to support their preferred political party in the country. These bonds could be purchased through the State Bank of India (SBI). Individuals can also buy them and donate them to political parties.</p><p>Political parties had to encash them within a specific time range. The bond did not include the donor's name or other essential information, so the donation remained anonymous. You can learn more about electoral bonds <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newsahoot.com/articles/electoral-bond-what-are-they">here</a>.</p><p>Electoral bonds have faced some <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newsahoot.com/articles/supreme-court-s-verdict-on-electoral-bonds">controversy</a>, with petitions filed in the Supreme Court (SC) of India. The SC said that electoral bonds are unconstitutional and even asked the SBI to stop issuing them. The SBI was asked to provide all information regarding the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by 6th March 2024.</p><p>The ECI was asked to make the details available on its website by 13th March 2024.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/electoral-bonds-data-released-for-the-public%2FSample%20electoral%20Bond.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=804b77aa-976a-4089-a2ae-14a79a8d05fb"><figcaption>Electoral bond sample. Photo by The Hindu.</figcaption></figure><h5>When was the data released?</h5><p>In March, the SBI requested that the SC extend the deadline for submitting the details to 30th June 2024. However, the SC rejected this request, as people must know this vital information before they vote. The bank was asked to submit all data by 12th March 2024. The ECI was asked to publish this information by 15th March 2024.</p><p>Now, after SBI has submitted all the data, the ECI has published the information recently for everyone to see.</p><h5>What does the data show?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/electoral-bonds-data-released-for-the-public%2FEB%201.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=0982b0bc-be08-4641-91ed-bdaa7cdd71b2"><figcaption>The top 5 recipients through electoral bonds. Photo by Moneycontrol.</figcaption></figure><p>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received the most money through the electoral bonds scheme. They received Rs 6060.5 crore between 12th April 2019 and 24th January 2024.</p><p>The BJP is followed by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the Congress party. During the period, the AITC received Rs 1,609.53 crore, and the Congress received Rs 1,421.87 crore. Over the last five years, 24 political parties have received Rs 12,769 crore in electoral bond donations. You can check out the full list <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.eci.gov.in/disclosure-of-electoral-bonds">here</a>.</p><p>The SC has also asked the SBI to disclose the electoral bond numbers, which are not present in the current list. This number is essential to accurately match donations to parties.</p><h5>Who were the highest donors through electoral bonds?</h5><p>Future Gaming and Hotel Services PR, Megha Engineering &amp; Infrastructures Ltd, and Qwik Supply Chain Pvt Ltd, respectively, were the top three donors through the electoral bond scheme.</p><p>Now that the data has been released, people can check the funding source of the political parties. This move promotes increased transparency and allows citizens to make more informed decisions before the upcoming election.</p>

The data is available for everyone to see on the Election Commission of India website.

Electoral Bonds Data Released for the Public

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Electoral Bonds Data Released for the Public

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