Corporate entities, builders, jewelers, and IT companies among other contributed generously to the BJP, which yet again cornered the lion’s share of donations in 2019-20. As per the report filed by the BJP to the Election Commission of India, the party received Rs 785.77 crore in donations/ contributions above Rs 20,000. At an individual level, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu was the politician with the highest contribution to the BJP’s kitty with Rs 1.11 crore.
As for BJP’s one-time NDA ally Shiv Sena, it received only Rs 18.61 crore while the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) got just Rs 8.08 crore during the period.
Political parties are required to declare donations above Rs 20,000 every financial year received by them from any source under the provisions of The Representation of the People Act.
The treasurer of every party has to present a report on political donations exceeding Rs 20,000. Political parties are required to furnish the name, address and PAN of the donor along with information about mode of payment and amount contributed by each donor to the Election Commission.
As per the report, the highest donation to the BJP came from Prudent Electoral Trusts which donated Rs 208.25 crore. The other donors were ITC Limited Rs 55 crore; New Democratic Electoral Trust Rs 30 crore; Oasis Realty Rs 20 crore; Lodha Developers Rs 14.55 crore; ITC Infotech India Rs 12.80 crore; Triumph Electoral Trust Rs 10 crore; AB General Electoral Trust Rs 9 crore; BG Shirke Construction Technology Rs 5.15 crore; Jankalyan Electoral Trust Rs 6.15 crore; Harmony Electoral Trusts Rs 5.50 crore; ILABS Hyderabad Rs 5 crore; Megha Engineering &Infrastructure Limited Rs 5 crore Muthoot Finance Limited Rs 4 crore; Paradeep Phosphates Ltd Rs 3.5 crore; Kalyan Jewellers India Ltd Rs 3 crore; Hero Cycle Limited Rs 2.5 crore; Motilal Oswal Financial Service Ltd Rs 2.5 crore; Mewar University Rs 2 crore; Janhit Electoral Trust Rs 2 crore; Samaj Electoral Trust Rs one crore; Janam Multimedia Ltd Rs one crore and Haldiram Snacks Rs 30 lakh.
Former union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore donated Rs 3 lakh while former Chhattisgarh Chief Minsiter Dr Raman Singh contributed Rs 1.20 lakh to the BJP. Besides, Kirori Mal Meena, Bhupendra Yadav, Vijay Goel, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Smriti Z Irani have donated Rs one lakh each to the party fund.
Shiv Sena’s donors included Lodha Developers and Bhairavnath Sugar Works with Rs five crore each; BG Shirke Construction Rs 4 crore; ITC Limited Rs 2.62 crore; Harmony Electoral Trust Rs two crore; Modern Road Makers Rs two crore; New Democratic Electoral Trusts Rs one crore; Prudent Electoral Trust Rs 1.85 crore; Derive Trading and Resorts Limited Rs one crore and Hotel Grand Hyat Rs 4.12 lakh.
In the case of AITC, major contributors were New Democratic Electoral Trust which donated Rs two crore; Texmaco Infrastructure Rs 50 lakh; Century Plywood India Limited Rs 50 lakh; Texmaco Rail Engineering Rs 50 lakh and Star Cement Rs 50 lakh.