The AIADMK has launched a scathing attack on the ruling DMK amid the political ripples over the release of electoral bonds data. Edappadi K Palaniswami, leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and AIADMK general secretary, questioned the DMK government’s law against online gaming.
The criticism came after the electoral bonds data released by the Election Commission (EC) showed lottery company Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd, the biggest purchaser of electoral bonds, as the DMK’s top donor.
The state government of Tamil Nadu “enacted a namesake, weak law banning online gambling” and shamefully received cash from a gambling company that pledges people’s lives, alleged Palaniswami.
However, hitting back at rival AIADMK’s offensive, the DMK has said it had transparently disclosed the names of donors and underlined that the MK Stalin government gave no concession in exchange for donations.
According to the data by the Election Commission (EC), lottery company Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd, the biggest purchaser of electoral bonds, donated almost 40 percent of its total purchases to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party (DMK). Between 2019 and 2024, the company bought bonds worth over Rs 1,300 crore.
According to the latest data shared by the EC on Sunday, the DMK was among the parties that named its poll bond donors.
As per the data, via poll bonds from April 19, 2019, till November 14, 2023, the party received a total of Rs 656.5 crore. This included Rs 509 crore from Future Gaming, between April 2019 and April 2023. The company is run by Santiago Martin.
From Future Gaming, the DMK received its first tranche of electoral bonds (worth Rs 60 crore) in 2020-21. Between 2021 and 2022, the amount increased to Rs 249 crore. In April 2021, the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections were held when the DMK ousted the then AIADMK government.
In 2022-23, from Future Gaming, the DMK received another Rs 160 crore via poll bonds. On April 1, 2023, the remaining amount was donated.