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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a reminder to all political parties, urging them to submit details of donations received through electoral bonds by 5 pm on November 15. This reminder aligns with the ECI’s November 3 order, following the Supreme Court’s directive on November 2.
The Supreme Court instructed the ECI to provide details of all electoral bonds issued since the inception of the scheme by November 19 in a sealed packet. In adherence to an April 2019 interim order reiterated by the Supreme Court in November 2023, political parties are required to disclose donor details against each bond, the amount of each bond, and particulars of the credit received, including bank account details and credit dates.
Political parties must send this information in a “double sealed cover” marked as “Confidential-Electoral Bond” to Binod Kumar, Secretary, Election Expenditure Division,ECI.
The Supreme Court’s five-judge constitutional bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, directed the ECI to provide this data in a sealed packet to the registrar (judicial) in its November 2 order. The data encompasses all information related to the sale and purchase of electoral bonds since the scheme’s notification in January 2018.
The court, in its November 2 order, specified that the ECI should produce updated data until September 30, 2023. It noted that the April 2019 order’s scope was not limited to its pronouncement date.
The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment in this case. According to information obtained through RTI requests, electoral bonds worth ₹14,940 crore were sold between March 2018 and October 2023. In the period leading up to the assembly elections in five states, bonds worth ₹1,148 crore were sold between October 4 and October 13, with 95.352% sold in denominations of ₹1 crore each.
