The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received Rs 351.50 crore i.e. 72.17 per cent of the total donations given to political parties by the Electoral Trusts in 2021-22, while the Congress got Rs 351.50 crore from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Samajwadi Party (SP) ), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and YSR Congress also received less donations. This claim has been made in the report of ‘Association for Democratic Reforms’ (ADR). ‘Electoral Trust’ is a non-profit organization formed in India to receive donations from corporate entities and individuals to political parties.
The objective of ‘Electoral Trust’ is to improve transparency in the use of funds for election related expenses. ADR data shows that the BJP received nineteen times more donations than the Congress in 2021-22 from the Electoral Trust. The total donations to the BJP were 2.5 times more than the donations received by the other nine parties. ADR has said in its analysis of Electoral Trust donations that BJP received Rs 351.50 crore or 72.17 per cent of the total donations received by all political parties in 2021-22. According to the ADR, the Congress got Rs 18.44 crore from the Electoral Trust, while TRS got Rs 40 crore, SP Rs 27 crore, AAP Rs 21.12 crore and YSR Congress Rs 20 crore.
The report says that the Akali Dal got Rs 7 crore, Punjab Lok Congress Party Rs 1 crore, Goa Forward Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Rs 50 lakh each. ADR said that out of the donations received by the Electoral Trust during the financial year 2021-22, it has received a total of Rs 487.09 crore from corporate houses and individuals. Rs 487.06 crore (99.99 per cent) has been distributed among various political parties.
Prudent Electoral Trust gave Rs 464.8 crore to political parties, BJP received maximum donations
In the financial year 2021-22, 89 corporate / business houses contributed Rs 475.80 crore to the Electoral Trust. Out of which 62 donated Rs.456.30 crore to Prudent Electoral Trust, two corporates contributed Rs.10.00 crore to AB General Electoral Trust, three corporates contributed Rs.5 crore to Samaj Electoral Trust and 15 corporates to Independent Electoral Trust Contributed Rs 2.20 crore. ADR said that a total of 40 persons have contributed to the Electoral Trust in the financial year 2021-22. Out of which 13 have contributed Rs 8.53 crore to the Prudent Electoral Trust. 15 individuals have contributed Rs 2.61 crore to the Independent Electoral Trust and 12 individuals have contributed a total of Rs 14.34 lakh to the Small Donation Electoral Trust.
