The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked all the political parties in the country to submit the details of donations received through electoral bonds by November 15. In a letter dated November 3, undersigned by the secretary of Election Expenditure Division, the parties are asked to furnish details of electoral bonds donation received till September 30, 2023. The move comes based on the order of the Supreme Court to the ECI to produce updated data of donations received by political parties through the electoral bonds scheme. A Constitution Bench of the court sought the details while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the scheme.
“All such parties, which have ever received any donation by way of Electoral Bond(s), since the inception of the Electoral Bond Scheme, are to furnish the details of all such donation(s) received by them, by way of Electoral Bond(s) till 30.09.2023, along-with detailed particulars of the donors against each bond; the amount of each such bond and the full particulars of the credit received against each bond, namely, the particulars of the bank account to which the account has been credited and the date of each such credit,” the ECI’s notification read. The commission has asked the parties to send the details in a double sealed cover bearing the name of the political party, to the election expenditure division latest by 5 pm, on November 15.
Read: Electoral bonds: SC asks ECI to submit details of funding received by parties
Also Read: Electoral bonds: SC says scheme puts Opposition parties at a disadvantage
The five-judge Constitution bench headed by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud asked the ECI to submit the data within two weeks, on November 3. The batch of pleas challenging the scheme has been heard and the judgement has been reserved.
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