Megha Engineering, SII, Nippon topped list of Electoral donors in FY23: ADR

Ten corporates donated Rs 332.26 crore, or 90.66% of total donations

An analysis of the donors to electoral trusts in financial year 2022-23 (FY23) by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that five electoral trusts received contributions totalling Rs 366.495 crore from corporates as well as individuals. Of this, they distributed Rs 366.48 crore (99.99 per cent) to various political parties.

The BJP bagged more than 70 per cent of the donations received by political parties. According to the data, the BJP clinched Rs 259.08 crore or 70.69 per cent of the total donations received by all political parties from electoral trusts. The BRS received Rs 90 crore or 24.56 per cent of the total donations.

Three other political parties — the YSR Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress  —  received a total of Rs 17.40 crore collectively, ADR stated.

Illustration: Binay Sinha

Megha Engineering and Infrastructure, Serum Institute of India (SII) and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel were the top three corporate donors to these electoral trusts.

Ten corporates gave Rs 332.26 crore, or 90.66 per cent of the total donations, to electoral trusts during FY23. All these 10 donors contributed to Prudent Electoral Trust.

Corporates and individuals from Telangana contributed Rs 145.51 crore, followed by Rs 105.25 crore from Maharashtra, Rs 50.20 crore from Gujarat, Rs 30.08 crore from West Bengal, Rs 10 crore from Haryana, Rs 7 crore from Tamil Nadu, Rs 6.5 crore from Madhya Pradesh, Rs 3 crore each from Andhra Pradesh and Delhi and Rs 2 crore from Rajasthan.

ADR said 13 of the 18 electoral trusts, registered with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), submitted their contribution details for FY23 to the Election Commission, of which, only five declared that they received donations during that year.