Funnel of funding transparency: Here're donations made by corporate houses

Seven electoral trusts received  Rs 258.49 crore from corporations and individuals. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged more than 82 per cent of the contributions, according to poll rights body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in a report published earlier this year.

An electoral trust aims at improving transparency in the use of funds for election-related expenses.

The ADR said 16 of the 23 electoral trusts submitted details of their contribution for 2020-21 (FY21) to the Election Commission of India.  Of those only seven declared having received donations.

“Seven electoral trusts which have declared receiving contributions during FY21 have received a total of Rs 258.49 crore from corporations and individuals and distributed Rs 258.43 crore (99.98 per cent) to various political parties,” it said.

The BJP received Rs 212.05 crore, or 82.05 per cent, of these donations, while the Janata Dal (United) secured Rs 27 crore, or 10.45 per cent of the amount.

Ten other political parties – the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, Lok Janshakti Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, and Loktantrik Janata Dal — received Rs 19.38 crore.

According to rules formulated by the central government, electoral trusts are required to distribute at least 95 per cent of the contributions received during the financial year, along with the surplus brought forward from the previous financial year, to eligible political parties before March 31.