The electoral bond serves as a funding method for Indian political parties and was initially introduced in early 2017.

On February 15, 2024, the Supreme Court of India made a landmark decision by declaring electoral bonds unconstitutional. This ruling signifies that electoral bonds, which were previously used as a method of funding for political parties, were found to be in violation of the constitution. This decision has significant implications for the political landscape of India, potentially reshaping the way political campaigns are financed and the transparency of political funding.

In this article, we will present comprehensive data of electoral bonds, detailing on how much donations were made to Indian political parties such as BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and others.

ELECTORAL BOND DATA SHARED BY STATE BANK OF INDIA

Amount Encashed by following list of Indian political parties

Name of the Political Party	Amount Encashed (in crore)	Percentage
BHARTIYA JANTA PARTY	₹60,605.11 crore	47.46%
ALL INDIA TRINAMOOL CONGRESS	₹16,095.31 crore	12.60%
PRESIDENT, ALL INDIA CONGRESS COMMITTEE	₹14,218.66 crore	11.14%
BHARAT RASHTRA SAMITHI	₹12,147.10 crore	9.51%
BIJU JANATA DAL	₹7,755.00 crore	6.07%
DMK PARTY IN PARLIAMENT	₹6,390.00 crore	5.00%
YSR CONGRESS PARTY (YUVAJANA SRAMIKA R)	₹3,370.00 crore	2.64%
TELUGU DESAM PARTY	₹2,188.80 crore	1.71%
SHIVSENA (POLITICAL PARTY)	₹1,583.81 crore	1.24%
RASTRIYA JANTA DAL	₹725.00 crore	0.57%
AAM AADMI PARTY	₹654.50 crore	0.51%
JANATA DAL ( SECULAR )	₹435.00 crore	0.34%
SIKKIM KRANTIKARI MORCHA	₹365.00 crore	0.29%
NATIONALIST CONGRESS PARTY PARLIAMENT OF	₹305.00 crore	0.24%
JANASENA PARTY	₹210.00 crore	0.16%
ADYAKSHA SAMAJVADI PARTY	₹140.50 crore	0.11%
BIHAR PRADESH JANTA DAL(UNITED)	₹140.00 crore	0.11%
JHARKHAND MUKTI MORCHA	₹135.00 crore	0.11%
SHIROMANI AKALI DAL	₹72.60 crore	0.06%
ALL INDIA ANNA DRAVIDA MUNNETRA KAZHAGAM	₹60.50 crore	0.05%
SIKKIM DEMOCRATIC FRONT	₹55.00 crore	0.04%
RASHTRIYA JANTA DAL	₹10.00 crore	0.01%
SHIVSENA	₹10.00 crore	0.01%
MAHARASHTRAWADI GOMNTAK PARTY	₹5.50 crore	0.00%
NATIONALIST CONGRESS PARTY MAHARASHTRA PRADESH	₹5.00 crore	0.00%
JAMMU AND KASHMIR NATIONAL CONFERENCE	₹5.00 crore	0.00%
GOA FORWARD PARTY	₹3.50 crore	0.00%

The data above highlights a list of 27 political parties in India that have received donations through electoral bonds. Among the 27 political parties listed, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stands out by receiving 47.46% (₹60,605,111,000) of the total denominations. The All India Trinamool Congress secured 12.60% of the total denominations, amounting to ₹16,095,314,000. Additionally, President, All India Congress Committee received ₹14,218,655,000, accounting for 11.14% of the total. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party received a smaller share of 0.51%, equivalent to ₹654,500,000. These figures highlight the varying levels of electoral bond donations among prominent political entities in India.

Total Donations received by Indian Political Parties

Political Parties Fund Distribution through Electoral Bond

The big donations made by top companies to certain political parties, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have some downsides. Since BJP got a lot of money, around ₹6060 crores, which is about 47.46% of all the funds, people worry about how this might affect decisions in politics. Some think that when companies give so much money, they might expect something in return, like special treatment or laws that benefit them. This could make things unfair for other parties and people who don’t have as much money to give. Also, because we don’t always know who’s giving money through electoral bonds, it’s hard to know if everything is happening in a fair way. To fix these problems, we need better rules and more transparency in how money is given to political parties, so that everyone can trust that politics is fair and not controlled by a few rich companies.

The donations given to political parties, like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), through electoral bonds are often used for things like election campaigns and other activities. However, it’s not just BJP that receives these donations. Other political parties, like the Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), also receive electoral bonds from companies and citizens across India. The concern arises when a large portion of these funds goes to one particular party, as it may create an uneven playing field in politics. All political parties should have fair access to funds for their campaigns and activities to ensure democracy remains balanced. Therefore, it’s important to have transparency and rules in place to make sure that electoral bond donations are distributed fairly among all parties, rather than being concentrated in the hands of just a few. This ensures that the voices of various political parties are heard and respected in the democratic process.

Top Donor List

List of Electoral Bond Purchaser

In conclusion, the decision by India's Supreme Court to stop the electoral bond system and call it unconstitutional is a big deal. It's a good move because it helps keep our democracy fair and honest. The system had some problems, like giving too much money to one political party, which isn't fair to others. By stopping it, the court is making sure that everyone plays by the same rules when it comes to money in politics. This decision shows that our courts are looking out for the people and trying to keep our democracy strong. Now, it's up to our leaders to find better ways to handle political funding so that everyone has a fair chance to participate in our democracy. It's an important step towards making sure that our government truly represents all of us.