E-Paper
BJP got ₹259 cr in donations via electoral trust in 2022-23: ADR
BJP received 70.69% of electoral trust donations in 2022-2023, amounting to ₹259.08 crore. BRS received the second highest at ₹90 crore, according to ADR.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received ₹259.08 crore as donations through electoral trust in 2022-2023, accounting for 70.69% of all donations made through the medium, according to an analysis of the Association for Democratic Reforms. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received the second highest electoral trust donations at ₹90 crore, 24.56% of electoral trust donations, the ADR report said.
Electoral trusts are set up by companies with the objective to distribute the contributions received from other firms and individuals to the political parties. They must donate 95% of contributions received in a financial year to political parties registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Electoral trusts list the companies and individuals who contribute to them.
Unlike electoral bonds, where buyers of the bonds are anonymous, electoral trusts are more transparent as they mandate reporting the contributors.
According to the analysis, the YSR Congress received ₹16 crore, the Aam Aadmi Party ₹90 lakh and Congress ₹50 lakh as donations through electoral trust.
Of the thirteen electoral trusts that submitted their contribution reports, only five — Prudent Electoral Trust, Samaj Electoral Trust Association, Paribartan Electoral Trust, Triumph Electoral Trust and Einzigartig Electoral Trust —declared contributions from corporate houses and individuals. Contributions from these five electoral trusts were worth ₹366.495 crore.
Prudent disbursed 99.09% of the money it collected, ₹363.15 crore, to four political parties --- BJP ( ₹256.25 crore), BRS ( ₹90 crore), YSRCP ( ₹16 crore) and AAP ( ₹90 lakh). Congress received ₹50 lakh, its only donation, from Samaj Electoral Trust Association. BJP is the only party to receive donations from multiple electoral trusts.
