New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received nearly Rs 857 crore – or 70% of the total donations received by all political parties – from electoral trusts in 2023-24, according to data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Six electoral trusts – Prudent, Triumph, Jaybharath, Paribartan, Einzigartig and Swadeshi – received a total of Rs 1,218.39 crore from corporates and individuals in 2023-24. Of this, Prudent electoral trust alone received Rs 1,075.717 crore in donations in this period.
Prudent electoral trust donated the lion’s share of its funds to the BJP (Rs 723 crore) in FY23 – a 182% increase from Rs 256 crore it gave to the saffron party in FY22.
Electoral trusts were introduced by the United Progressive Alliance-II regime in 2013 to facilitate donations to political parties by corporations and individuals. However, unlike anonymous electoral bonds, the trusts are supposed to declare their donation reports to the Election Commission of India every year.
Electoral trusts are also required to distribute at least 95% of their donations to political parties.
Contributions made by Corporates and Individuals to Electoral Trusts, FY 2023-24 (In Rs Cr). Photo: ADR
A look at the donors
Of the 142 businesses that donated to the six trusts in FY23, Prudent electoral trust received funds amounting to 1,036.72 crore from 133 of them. Another six donated to Triumph (132.50 crore), two to Jaybharath (Rs 9 crore) and one to Paribartan (Rs 1 crore).
Thirty-two individuals also donated to the electoral trusts – 22 donated to Prudent (Rs 38.99 crore), five to Einzigartig (Rs 18 lakh) and four to Swadeshi (Rs 20,000).
The top 10 corporations to donate to electoral trusts include:
Top 10 donors to Electoral Trusts, FY 2023-24 (in Rs Cr). Photo: ADR
The top 10 corporate donors donated a total of Rs 624.195 crore to electoral trusts, accounting for 51.23% of the total
donations received by them in FY23.
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd. and DLF Ltd. made the largest donations amounting to Rs 100 crore in FY23. Both these donations went to the Prudent electoral trust.
These were followed by Maatha Projects LLP with Rs 75 crore, CESC Ltd (Rs 60 crore) and Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (Rs 60) crore, also given to Prudent.
Party-wise breakup of funds
Prudent, Triumph and Jaybharat donated the bulk of their funds to the BJP – Rs 723.78 crore, Rs 127 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively. Paribartan bought electoral funds worth Rs 1 crore while Einzigartig donated Rs 17.25 lakh of its Rs 18 lakh total to the saffron party.
Donations by Electoral Trusts to Political Parties, FY 2023-24 (in Rs Cr). Photo: ADR
Congress received donations worth Rs 156 crore from Prudent while Triumph and Jaybharat donated Rs 5 crore and Rs 3 crore to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam respectively.
Prudent also donated Rs 33 crore to the Telugu Desam Party, Rs 72 crore to the YSR Congress party and Rs 5 crore to the Janasena Party.
