In Gujarat,BJP beats Cong hands down for corporate funds

A total of 190 donors contributed to Gujarat’s main two political parties,according to the data available with ADR,a body established by a group of professors from country’s premier B-school IIM-A. The ADR has compiled donations by cheques in excess of Rs 20,000.

Details show Congress received contributions from nine donors while the BJP had 64 donors in 2010-11. In 2009-10,there were 11 donors for the Congress and 106 for BJP. This is as per declarations made by the two parties before the Election Commission of India.

Torrent Power,a power generation,transmission and distribution company promoted by Rs 9,500-crore Torrent Group,is the biggest donor to political parties in Gujarat. The BSE-listed firm,which distributes power to more than three million consumers in cities of Gujarat,Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra,contributed Rs 8.5 crore to BJP and Rs 7.35 crore to Congress in two years.

Listed companies based in Ahmedabad,like Dishman Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals Ltd and Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd,were among the top five donors in Gujarat and they gave only to the BJP. Detailed questionnaires sent to all these companies remained unanswered.

“The give-and-take relationship between politicians and corporates is known to all,” says Bhagyesh Soneji,a city-based entrepreneur who is also the chairperson of Assocham’s Gujarat chapter. “Frankly,most look for certain benefits or concessions from the political parties,” he said,adding that industry bodies like Assocham have been constantly campaigning for greater transparency.

The data with ADR also shows a host of real estate firms like Dharmadev Infrastructure,Siddhi Infrabuild,Safal Constructions,Vishwanath Buildcon,Shree Parshawnath and Rajkamal builders have given Rs 5 lakh or above each to the saffron party in 2009-11.

Topping this list is a Rs 25-lakh donation made by from Ganesh Housing to Congress. “We believe funding political parties is part of a democratic process. We follow a transparent process and fund parties without bias. There are two major political parties and we donate to both,” said a leading builder while requesting anonymity.

“The amounts may look small,but these declarations of donations made by political parties are just the tip of the iceberg. They constitute just 20 per cent of the money the political parties actually receive,” says professor Jagdeep Chhokar,one of the founder members and trustee of ADR.

Treasurer of Gujarat BJP,Surendra Patel,says “The party gets funds from different sources. In the recent campaign (Dhan Dhaan) that we organised,we got donations in both cash and cheques. Amount above Rs 10,000 were taken in cheques.”

Patel,however,refused to reveal the quantum of funds that the party receives from corporates. The BJP had collected over Rs 150 crore through Dhan Daan.

State Congress Legislature Party leader Shaktisinh Gohil said,“We do not receive a single penny from corporates.”

ADR says a large part of political funding is unaccounted since it happens through cash and sale of coupons (a mode of cash transactions).