BJP Leads in Electoral Bonds as Future Gaming Donates Heavily to DMK: Election Commission Data

Electoral Bonds: BJP Leads, Future Gaming’s Generous Donation to DMK Revealed

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Since the inception of the electoral bond scheme in 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the top recipient, having collected a substantial ₹6,986.5 crore through these bonds. Meanwhile, Future Gaming and Hotels Services, a company contributing ₹1,368 crore in electoral bonds, allocated the highest share of ₹509 crore (37%) to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a prominent political entity in Tamil Nadu. This information comes from data released by the Election Commission.

Following the BJP, the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal ranks second, having garnered ₹1,397 crore in electoral bonds. The Indian National Congress holds the third position with ₹1,334 crore. The Bharatiya Janata Party of Telangana secured the fourth spot with ₹1,322 crore in electoral bonds. In Odisha, the ruling Biju Janata Dal collected ₹944.5 crore, while the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh received ₹442.8 crore in bonds.

Interestingly, the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka received ₹89.75 crore, with Megha Engineering alone contributing ₹50 crore. However, the total amount received by the Aam Aadmi Party was not disclosed, although it received ₹65.45 crore from State Bank of India (SBI), with an additional ₹3.55 crore reportedly pending.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) declared zero donations through electoral bonds, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had previously announced its decision not to accept any contributions via this route.

The allocation of the remaining ₹859 crore from Future Gaming remains undisclosed. Apart from DMK, Future Gaming contributed to Megha Engineering (₹105 crore), Sun TV (₹100 crore), and India Cements (₹14 crore). This indicates that Future Gaming holds a significant stake, with a 77% share in total donations.

It’s worth noting that Future Gaming, under scrutiny for alleged money laundering, is owned by Santiago Martin, known as the “Lottery King of India,” operating his business from Chennai.

The Election Commission shared information about buyers and redeemers of electoral bonds on March 14, following public disclosure by political parties last November. The Samajwadi Party claimed to have received ₹10.84 crore, primarily through mail, with details of the sender undisclosed. The remaining contributions came from SK Traders, Sen Beverages, AK Traders, BG Traders, and AS Traders.

The Janata United received ₹10 crore in bonds from an unidentified individual, with the party stating that it received an envelope containing ten electoral bonds worth ₹1 crore each at its Patna office on April 3, 2019. At the time, there were no Supreme Court orders, and the Center’s notification was effective, prompting the party to redeem the bonds through SBI Patna. In April 2019, the party redeemed bonds worth ₹13 crore, with contributions from Shree Cement and Bharti Airtel.

This data sheds light on the complex web of financial contributions shaping political landscapes, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in electoral funding processes.