The Election Commission of India (EC) has informed the Supreme Court that it had “received sealed covers” from various political parties regarding the receipt of funds through the purchase of electoral bonds. The SC, while hearing a plea by NGOs Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Common Cause, challenging the Electoral Bond Scheme, had in an interim order dated April 12, 2019, asked political parties which have received donations through electoral bonds to “forthwith” submit the details of these bonds to the EC. However, the court refused to stay the scheme and said it will hear the matter in detail. Subsequently, ADR filed a plea for an interim stay saying the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had raised certain objections to the scheme but the government had overlooked these. In its affidavit in reply to this application, the EC said “that being a Constitutional Authority”, it “does not propose to take any contentious issues or to join any submission on merits, etc., as these are matters between contending parties”. As per the EC affidavit, the national parties which have submitted the sealed cover details include the All India Trinamool Congress, BSP, BJP, Congress, CPI, CPM and the Nationalist Congress Party. The Tripura state unit of the BJP, the West Bengal unit of NCP and the Goa unit of the Congress and 20 state parties too have submitted the covers. 71 unrecognised political parties too have filed sealed cover documents, the affidavit said. 📢 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines