The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received nearly Rs 1,300 crore through electoral bonds in 2022-23, seven times more than what the Congress received.
In 2022-23 fiscal, the BJP’s total contributions stood at Rs 2,120 crore, and 61 per cent of it was from electoral bonds, according to the party’s annual audited report submitted to the Election Commission. In the last fiscal, the contribution to the saffron party was Rs 1,775 crore.
The party’s total income in 2022-23 stood at Rs 2360.8 crore, up from Rs 1917 crore in FY 2021-22. The BJP also earned Rs 237 crore from interests in the last fiscal, up from Rs 135 crore in 2021-22.
Meanwhile, the Congress earned Rs 171 crore from electoral bonds which was down from Rs 236 crore in FY 2021-22.
Out of its total expenditure on ‘election and general propaganda’, the BJP paid Rs 78.2 crore for use of aircraft and helicopters, which is down from Rs 117.4 crore in 2021-22.
The electoral bonds scheme was introduced in 2017 by way of a Finance Bill and was implemented in 2018. It serves as a means for individuals and entities to make donations to registered political parties while maintaining donor anonymity.
The State Bank of India (SBI) is the only authorised bank to issue electoral bonds in denominations of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 1 crore.
The bank explains ‘eligible political party’ as one that is registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and has secured at least one percent votes in the last Lok Sabha election.
(With PTI inputs)