Electoral bonds data: BJP encashed Rs 1,700 crore before Lok Sabha 2019, already redeemed Rs 202 crore before 2024 polls

The electoral bond data released by the Election Commission of India showed that the BJP encashed by far the highest amount of EBs among political parties.

Leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Assam flag off the BJP election campaign vehicle ahead of Lok Sabha elections. (PTI)

Of Rs 12,769 crore worth electoral bonds encashed by the political parties in the last five years, ruling BJP bagged almost half, and one-third of this came during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In fact, the party has encashed electoral bonds worth Rs.202 crore in January this year, ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The electoral bond data released by the Election Commission of India on Thursday showed that the BJP encashed by far the highest amount of EBs (Rs.6,060.52 crore in total) among political parties. What the data also revealed was that the party redeemed the most during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the November 2023 elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

One-third of the total amount that the party redeemed from April 12, 2019 till January 24 this year was during April and May 2019 (Rs.1,056.86 crore in April 2019 and Rs.714.71 crore in May 2019). During the latest Assembly elections in November 2023, the redemption increased to Rs.702 crore, from Rs.359.05 crore in October.

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The BJP redeemed EBs throughout the period, in the form of 8,633 bonds. The redemption fell to single digits three times – February 2020 (Rs.3 crore), January 2021 (Rs.1.50 crore) and December 2023 (Rs.1.30 crore). Redemptions spiked in January 2022 (Rs.662.20 crore), when the elections to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa assemblies were on; and again in November 2022, when the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assemblies went to polls.

The Congress, which got the third-highest amount among parties after the BJP and Trinamool Congress, redeemed a total of Rs. 1,421.87 crore in 3,146 bonds from April 12, 2019 to January 22, 2024. Interestingly, the party redeemed over three times as much in the run-up to the Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram elections in October 2023 (Rs.401.91 crore) than in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections (Rs.118.56 crore in April 2019). In the most-recent tranche, in January this year, the Congress redeemed Rs.35.9 crore, as opposed to the BJP, which got Rs.202 crore in the same period.

Harikishan Sharma

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More

Damini Nath

Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More

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