Of Rs 951 crore voluntary contributions, BJP received Rs 698 crore: ADR

Five national political parties received Rs 951 crore through voluntary contributions of above Rs 20000 out of which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party BJP received Rs 698 crore a report said on TuesdayThe Association for Democratic Reforms ADR in its podcast episode on analysis of donations from corporates and business houses to national political parties for financial year 201819 said Five national parties comprising BJP Congress NCP CPM and Trinamool Congress received a total of Rs 95166 crore via voluntary contributions above Rs 20000 out of which 93 per cent or Rs 88126 crore was from corporates or business housesIt further said that donations from corporates to national parties increased by 133 per cent from the period between 200412 to 201819BJP received the maximum corporate donations of Rs 69814 crore which forms 94 per cent of the total donations to the party above Rs 20000 in 201819 followed by Congress which declared a donation of Rs 12760 crore from various corporate and business houses it saidThe ADR pointed out that various sectors of business houses in seven years between financial year 201213 and 201819 donated a total of Rs 282321 crore or 9162 per cent of the total contribution from known sources of political parties amounting to Rs 308158 croreNational parties have received the maximum corporate donations during 201819 Rs 88126 crore followed by 201415 Rs 57318 crore and 201617 Rs 56319 crore it saidDonations from corporates to National parties was lowest in 201516 where it reduced to Rs 7694 crore it saidThe ADR report also highlighted that between 201213 and 201819 BJP received the maximum corporate donations of Rs 231954 crore constituting 16 per cent of the total corporate donations in the seven yearsThe ADR report further stated that progressive electoral trust was the top donor to three of the National parties namely BJP Congress and Trinamool Congress in 201819 The Trust donated a total of three times in one year amounting to Rs 45515 crore it saidThe ADR said that prudent electoral trust was the second highest corporate donor to BJP and Congress donating 25 times a total amount of Rs 10625 croreThe contributions from corporate business houses have been classified into 15 sectorscategories by ADR and does not form a part of the submission made by parties to ECI These sectors include Electoral Trusts Real Estate Manufacturing Trusts amp Group of companies Power amp Oil Mining Construction ExportsImports among othersThe ADR said that in 201819 Electoral Trust donated the maximum amount of Rs 61765 crore followed by Manufacturing sector contributing a total of Rs 9688 crore and Mining Construction ExportsImports sector contributing a total of Rs 6461 crore to the five national partiesBJP Congress and Trinamool Congress received the maximum contributions from Electoral Trusts BJP received the highest Rs 471785 crore followed by Congress with Rs 9888 crore and Trinamool Congress with Rs 4298 crore it saidThe ADR said that NCP received the maximum contributions worth Rs 565 crore from mining construction exportsimports companiesIt also said that Rs 2057 crore was received from the unsegregated category which includes companies with no details available online or those with no clarity regarding their nature of workThe Mode of payment is either incomplete or undeclared in case for 204 donations through which National parties received a huge sum of Rs 55649 crore which forms 15 per cent of the total amount of donations received by corporatebusiness houses Hundred per cent of corporate donations to Trinamool Congress either have incomplete or undeclared mode of payment This was also the case for the 201617 and 201718 it saidThe report further highlighted that in a total of 631 donations declared by national parties there is no information related to PAN or address or details of both PAN and address details Such contributions amount to Rs 58395 croreDonations or contributions are amounts contributed above Rs 20000 to the political parties by individuals companies electoral trusts and unions associations The details of donors such as Name address PAN number Mode of payment and date of donation have to be shown by the political party in the Donations report filed by the party to the Election Commission of India According to the rules laid down by the Election Commission Contribution Report containing details of the donors who donated above Rs 20000 have to be made available with the ECI on an annual basis as prescribed under Section 29C of the Representation of Peoples Act in Form 24A