Electoral bond data: With poll bonds worth Rs 185 crore, Megha Engg also top donor for BRS
The Telangana-based infrastructure giant, which in 2016 won contracts worth over Rs 1 lakh crore for constructing several phases of the massive Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, donated Rs 195 crore to the party led by former CM K Chandrashekar Rao.
For electoral bonds worth Rs 23.55 crore, the EC data showed no purchaser details, meaning these were purchased before April 12, 2019.
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Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), the biggest donor of electoral bonds to BJP, also topped the list of donors to Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), according to data released Thursday by the Election Commission.
The Telangana-based infrastructure giant, which in 2016 won contracts worth over Rs 1 lakh crore for constructing several phases of the massive Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, donated Rs 195 crore to the party led by former CM K Chandrashekar Rao.
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Overall, since April 12, 2019, the BRS redeemed bonds worth Rs 1,383 crore, ranking fourth after BJP (Rs 6,060 crore), TMC (Rs 1,610 crore) and Congress (Rs 1,422 crore).
Of this, the BRS redeemed bonds worth Rs 192.6 crore between October 11, 2018 and April 10, 2019. And the rest (Rs 1191.15 crore) from May 2019 to December 2023.
For electoral bonds worth Rs 23.55 crore, the EC data showed no purchaser details, meaning these were purchased before April 12, 2019.
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Apart from MEIL, the BRS’s top 10 donors included four other infrastructure companies and three healthcare and pharmaceutical firms.
Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital gave Rs 94 crores to BRS, all when the party was in power in the state.
In April 2023, Congress leader Revanth Reddy who’s now the state Chief Minister alleged that KCR’s relatives, “who manage Yashoda Hospitals”, had obtained land worth crores at “dirt cheap prices”.
Construction firm Chennai Greenwoods Private Limited and pharma company Hetero Drugs and Labs donated Rs 50 crore each to BRS.
Apurva Vishwanath is the National Legal Editor of The Indian Express in New Delhi. She graduated with a B.A., LL. B (Hons) from Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow. She joined the newspaper in 2019 and in her current role, oversees the newspapers coverage of legal issues. She also closely tracks judicial appointments. Prior to her role at the Indian Express, she has worked with ThePrint and Mint. ... Read More