New Delhi: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the prime recipient of the electoral bonds scheme, amassing donations exceeding Rs 6,000 crore over the past four years. The funds have been contributed by a variety of corporates and individuals, including Megha Engineering, Future Gaming, and Reliance-affiliated Qwik Supply.


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Megha Engineering, a Hyderabad-based firm known for securing numerous infrastructure project contracts, has made a significant contribution of Rs 584 crore to the BJP. Other notable donations include Rs 395 crore from Qwik Supply and Rs 100 crore from Future Gaming.


The BJP’s funding sources also extend to Keventers Food Park, MKJ Enterprises, and Madanlal Ltd, three companies sharing the same address in Kolkata, which collectively donated Rs 346 crore. Additionally, Vedanta and Haldia Energy contributed Rs 226 crore and Rs 81 crore respectively.


Interestingly, Vedanta also emerged as a substantial donor to the Congress party, with contributions amounting to Rs 125 crore. The opposition party also received funds from Western UP Power and Transmission, MKJ Enterprises, and Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals.


Further, the BJP received Rs 80 crore from Western UP Power and Transmission Company, and Rs 42 crore from Welspun. Industrialist Lakshmi Mittal made a personal contribution of Rs 35 crore to the BJP, while several other individuals donated amounts ranging from Rs 10-25 crore.


In an effort to ensure transparency, the Election Commission has released a new data set of electoral bonds. This includes alpha-numeric numbers that can potentially link the purchasers with the political parties that received the funds. The poll panel published two separate lists of donors and recipients on its website, following the submission of details by the State Bank of India, as mandated by a Supreme Court order.