BJD Encashed Rs 944.5 Cr Electoral Bonds In 5 Years; Donors Not Revealed

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the ruling party of Odisha, got a total donation of Rs 1,020 crore in 5 years and of these,
944.5 crore were encashed through electoral bonds between July 16, 2018, and July 15, 2023.

According to the new information, which was previously submitted to the Supreme Court in sealed cover and released by Election Commission on Sunday, the regional party redeemed Rs 244 crore between July 7, 2018, and April 5, 2019. During this nine-month period, it received 214 bonds of Rs 1 crore denomination, 299 of Rs 10 lakh denomination, and 10 of Rs 1 lakh denomination.

While the Naveen Patnaik-led party submitted these bonds details on June 20, 2019, following the Supreme Court’s interim order of April 12, 2019, it has not revealed details of the donors.

Several companies, which are into infrastructure, mining, metal and other businesses in Odisha, figure in the list of donors. These include Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd, the second highest bond purchaser, Utkal Alumina International Ltd, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Vedanta Ltd, Rungta Sons Pvt Ltd, Essel Mining and Industries Ltd, Grasim Industries Ltd, Thriveni Earth Movers Pvt Ltd, M/S SN Mohanty, Indrani Patnaik, Misrilall Mines Pvt Ltd, Orissa Metaliks Pvt Ltd, Shree Jagannath Steels and Power Ltd, Ramco Cements Ltd, JK Paper Ltd and Welspun Group.

In its earlier tranche of information, the Election Commission had provided details of bonds from July 20, 2019, to November 24, 2003. The analysis of these information shared in two phases put the total amount received by BJD through electoral bonds at Rs 944.5 crore. The party redeemed electoral bonds worth Rs 213.5 crore in 2018-19, Rs 50.5 crore in 2019-20, Rs 67 crore in 2020-21, Rs 291 crore in 2021-22, Rs 152 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 170.5 crore in 2023-24 (till September 30 last year).

The party had encashed Rs 766 bonds in Rs 1 crore denomination and another 95 in 10 lakh denomination between April 12, 2019 and February 15, 2024, totalling to 861 bonds worth Rs 775.5 crore, according to Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The BJD along with BJP (Rs 6,986.5 crore), TMC (Rs 1,397 crore), Congress (Rs 1,334.35 crore) and BRS (Rs 1,322 crore) are the five highest receivers of bonds, and together account for 87% of those funds.