Electoral bonds data 2nd list: BSP says 'didn't receive donations', CPI(M) reiterates 'we were against it'

livemint.com:

Electoral bonds data 2nd list: In a fresh set of details around the political donations through electoral bonds, the Election Commission of India on Sunday uploaded the sealed covers received by the Supreme Court's registry carrying party-wise details of electoral bond donations at least till 12 April 2019. The second set of data sheds more light on donations through ‘now-scrapped’ electoral bonds.

While some parties received donations running in thousands of crores, some received zero donations through electoral bonds while others explicitly refused to accept donations through the contentious scheme. In the fresh set of data published by the ECI, parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (CPI), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) informed that they have received no donations through the electoral bonds.

“The Communist Party of India (Marxist), as you are aware, has right from the inception of the electoral bond scheme voiced its opposition to it. We had decided against accepting any donation through the medium of electoral bonds In consonance with this principled stand, the Party has not received any donation through electoral bonds Further, the CPI(M) has not designated any bank account for the said purpose You may also be aware that among the three cases challenging the Electoral Bonds Scheme pending before the Supreme Court, one is that of the CPI(M)," CPI (M) said in the document dated November 5, 2023.

Similarly, BSP also revealed that they received no donations through electoral bonds. “In this matter, we submit that M/s Bahujan Samaj Party has not received any donation by way of Electoral Bond(s) since the inception of the Electoral Bond Scheme to date," BSP said in the document