In addition to companies registered in Gujarat, corporate entities with business interests in the state, also purchased electoral bonds ahead of crucial elections after 2019, shows data made public by the Election Commission of India (ECI). For instance, Jaipur-based Wonder Cements, promoted by the Patni family, purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 2 crore in November 2023 and again in January this year. On January 6, the company announced its expansion plans by establishing a new production facility at Tulsigam in Savli taluka of Vadodara. Its sister-companies Wonder Minerals Private Limited and Wonder Marmostones also purchased bonds worth Rs 3 crore and Rs 2 crore on November 10, 2023 — the same day as Wonder Cements Ltd, taking the total bonds purchased by the group to Rs 25 crore. Several members of the Patni family, including Managing Director Emeritus Ashok Patni, Suresh Patni, Vivek Patni, and Vineet Patni purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 9 crore in their individual capacities on October 6, 2022 and October 7, 2022. Similarly, Chennai-registered Ramco Cements, which has presence in Kutch, has purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 54 crore so far. Of this, bonds worth Rs 15 crore were bought in November 2022 ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls. Grasim Industries', which purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 33 crore, has a strong presence in Gujarat with seven plants in Vilayat (Bharuch), Halol (Panchmahal), and Veraval for chemicals, filament yarn, viscose staple fibres, and insulators. Inox Air, which has plants in Ahmedabad, Dahej, Halol, Hazira, Jhagadia and Karjan had purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 4 crore in April 2019. Pharma companies such as Lupin (Rs 18 crore) and Cipla (Rs 7 crore) also have a presence in Bharuch and Surat districts, while IPCA Laboratories, which purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 14 crore, operates a plant in Padra taluka of Vadodara. Vadodara-based Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited, which has a market capital of Rs 19,708 crore, purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 11 crore in three parts — Rs 7 crore in November 2022, Rs 3.5 crore in January 2023, and Rs 50 lakh in July 2023. Among the directors of the company are IPL former chairman Chirayu Amin and his sons Pranav and Shaunak. In April and May 2019, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd (GFL), a Rs 36,898-crore company located at Ranjit Nagar in Panchmahal and Vadodara-based Sun Pharma Laboratories, valued at Rs 3.76 lakh crore, purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 12 crore and Rs 31.5 crore respectively. Vadodara-based Patel Highway Management Pvt Ltd purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 1 crore in April 2019. Incorporated on September 24, 2009, the company is involved in civil engineering and its sister-concern company Patel Infrastructure Limited is a leading firm that has constructed the Ahmedabad Expressway, Vadodara-Kim Expressway Project, Samras hostel, the new District Court building of Vadodara as well as the City Civil Court in Ahmedabad, in addition to many projects in its kitty.
