Election Commission releases electoral bond data revealing donor-recipient link

The Election Commission has taken a decisive step by uploading comprehensive data related to electoral bonds on its official website. This development, unveiled on Thursday evening, sheds light on the intricate web of connections between donors and recipients of these controversial financial instruments.

The latest data dump, facilitated by the Election Commission, provides crucial insights into the electoral bond system, a subject of much scrutiny and debate in recent years. Notably, the uploaded information establishes a direct correlation between the purchasers of electoral bonds and the political parties receiving them.

Earlier on Thursday, the State Bank of India (SBI) affirmed to the Supreme Court its cooperation in furnishing all pertinent details regarding electoral bonds. State Bank chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara, in an affidavit submitted to the apex court, confirmed the submission of comprehensive electoral bond data to the Election Commission.

The data unveiled on the Election Commission's website encompasses two distinct lists. These lists comprehensively outline the purchaser's name, bond denomination, and a unique bond number. Furthermore, they elucidate the political party that encashed the bond, along with the last four digits of the respective bank account. Crucially, the denomination and unique bond number of the encashed bonds are also delineated.

However, the SBI chairman clarified that certain sensitive information, including complete bank account numbers and KYC details of political parties redeeming the bonds, has been withheld from public disclosure to safeguard the security of these accounts. Similarly, KYC details of bond purchasers have also been withheld for security reasons.

The electoral bond system, initiated in March 2018 and managed exclusively by the State Bank of India, faced mounting criticism over opacity and alleged misuse. The Supreme Court's recent ruling declaring the scheme null and void further intensified scrutiny on electoral funding practices.