BJP secures 84% of electoral bonds acquired by top 10 Individuals

The most recent tranche of data released by the Election Commission sheds light on the top 10 individual donors who purchased electoral bonds worth ₹180.2 crore between April 12, 2019, and January 11, 2024. Notably, a substantial portion of this amount, ₹152.2 crore, or 84.5%, was contributed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), making it the largest beneficiary.

Breakdown of Contributions

Following the BJP, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) emerged as the second-largest recipient, receiving ₹16.2 crore, or about 9% of the total donations. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) secured the third spot with contributions amounting to ₹5 crore.

Key Contributors

ArcelorMittal’s chairperson, Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, emerged as the top donor, purchasing bonds worth ₹35 crore, all of which were directed to the BJP. Similarly, Laxmi Das Vallabhdas Merchant, the second top individual donor, donated his entire ₹25 crore to the BJP in November 2023.

Insights into Contributors

Among the top 10 contributors, notable personalities such as KR Raja JT, Inder Thakurdas Jaisinghani, Rahul Jagannath Joshi, along with his son Harmesh Rahul Joshi, Raju Kumar Sharma, Saurabh Gupta, and Anita Hemant Shah, exclusively supported the BJP through their contributions.

Further Details

Inder Thakurdas Jaisinghani, the chairperson and managing director of Polycab India, is recognised as the largest manufacturer of wires and cables in India. The Joshi father-son duo holds directorial positions in multiple freight companies.

Specifically concerning IndiGo’s Rahul Bhatia, donations amounted to ₹16.2 crore to the TMC and ₹3.8 crore to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Additionally, IndiGo and its related entities contributed ₹31 crore to the BJP in May 2019 and ₹5 crore to the Congress in April 2023.