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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the top recipient of electoral bonds since their introduction in 2018, receiving a staggering ₹6,986.5 crore, according to Election Commission data. This places the BJP at the forefront of political funding through this mechanism, followed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from West Bengal with ₹1,397 crore, and the Congress with ₹1,334 crore.
Among the noteworthy contributions, Future Gaming and Hotel Services stands out as the top purchaser of electoral bonds, donating a substantial ₹509 crore to Tamil Nadu’s ruling party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The DMK, known for its transparency in disclosing donors, also received significant contributions from other entities such as Megha Engineering (₹105 crore), India Cements (₹14 crore), and Sun TV (₹100 crore).
Odisha’s ruling party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), ranked fourth among the recipients with ₹944.5 crore, followed by DMK at ₹656.5 crore and Andhra Pradesh’s ruling party, the YSR Congress, with nearly ₹442.8 crore. Future Gaming, owned by lottery king Santiago Martin, emerged as the largest purchaser of electoral bonds, contributing a total of ₹1,368 crore, with a substantial portion going to the DMK.
The DMK’s transparency in disclosing donor details contrasts with major parties like the BJP, Congress, TMC, and AAP, who did not disclose these details to the Election Commission. This information has now been made public in compliance with a Supreme Court order.
Several other political parties also received substantial funds through electoral bonds, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with ₹181.35 crore, Shiv Sena with ₹60.4 crore, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) with ₹56 crore, and Samajwadi Party with ₹14.05 crore. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) declared its refusal to accept funds through electoral bonds, while the filings from All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) showed zero receipts.
