Before 2019 polls BJP got over Rs 3,941 crore: Electoral bond data
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New Delhi: The BJP, the No. 1 recipient of electoral bonds, redeemed over Rs 3,941.57 crore between March 2018 to May 22, 2019, Indian Express reported citing data released by the Election Commission today.
Suggesting a trend since the scheme came into being, the report said Rs 3,050.11 crore, making up 77.4 per cent, reached the party’s coffers in March, April and May 2019 three months before the polls.
On the whole, as per the report, the saffron party redeemed at least Rs 8, 451. 41 core since the scheme was launched.
Though the party received contributions from across India, majority flowed in from Mumbai (Rs 1,493.21 crore), Kolkata (Rs 1,068.91 crore) and New Delhi (666.08 crore).
There were assembly polls in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Mizoram in November –December 2018.
Of the states polled, BJP lost MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan but made government in MP following defection in Congress, according to the report.
During October and November in 2018, BJP redeemed Rs 330.41 crore in total, before getting bonds worth Rs 173 crore in January 2019.
Just before Lok Sabha polls in 2019, BJP redeemed bonds valued at Rs 769.48 crore in March.
When polling began in April , the BJP redeemed a whopping Rs 1572.93 crore and in May the same year it was Rs 707.70 crore.