Election Commission to follow top court order on electoral bonds: CEC Rajiv Kumar
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the poll panel always works on the basis of transparency in information flow and involvement.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said that the poll panel will follow the directives of the Supreme Court regarding the anonymous election funding scheme. Addressing a press briefing, Kumar said the commission has always advocated for transparency in information flow and involvement.
"In its affidavit to the top court, the commission said it is in favour of transparency and when the order is issued, it will take action as directed by the Supreme Court," Kumar said.
Under the system, people and corporate groups were allowed to donate unlimited amounts of money to any political party anonymously through electoral bonds.
A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Thursday struck down the electoral bond scheme as unconstitutional.
"The electoral bond scheme infringes upon the right of information of the voter," the ruling said, read out by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.
"The information about the funding of political parties is essential for the effective exercise of the choice of voting", it added.
The court directed the SBI to submit details of each bond, including who purchased it, since April 2019 to the Electoral Commission, which must publish those details on its website by March 31, 2024.
"The details shall include the date of purchase of each electoral bond, the name of the purchaser of the bond, and the denomination of the electoral bond purchased," the ruling read.
The ruling is seen as a setback to the ruling BJP, which has received more money in electoral bonds than all other political parties combined.
Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Friday said the government is examining the court order and will decide whether it will challenge the ruling.
“We are examining it,” Meghwal told HT when asked if the government is going to challenge the top court’s verdict that came ahead of the Lok Sabha elections expected to take place in April or May this year.