BHUBANESWAR: Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the richest regional party in the country, has encashed electoral bonds worth Rs 944.5 crore in last six years between July 16, 2018 and July 15, 2023.
As per the second set of SBI electoral bond data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday, BJD encashed Rs 244 crore in nine months between July 7, 2018 and April 5, 2019. During the period, the party had received 214 bonds of Rs 1 crore denomination, 299 of Rs 10 lakh denomination and 10 of Rs 1 lakh denomination. The party had submitted the bond details in a sealed cover as directed by the Supreme Court in its interim order on April 12, 2019.
The bond details are believed to be pertaining to the period not made public by the poll panel in the first phase. On March 14, the ECI had publicised bond details during the period from July 20, 2019 to November 24, 2023. The Naveen Patnaik-led party redeemed electoral bonds worth Rs 213.5 crore in 2018-19, Rs 50.5 crore in 2019-20, Rs 67 crore in 2020-21, Rs 291 crore in 2021-22, Rs 152 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 170.5 crore in 2023-24 (till September 30 last year).
The regional party received a total of 905 electoral bonds of Rs 1 crore denomination each, 394 of Rs 10 lakh denomination each and 10 of Rs 1 lakh denomination each during the six-year period. It encashed bonds worth Rs 354 crore during 2020-21 and 2021-22 Covid pandemic period.
As per the analysis of bond details shared in two phases, the total monetary contribution that BJD got through electoral bonds stood at Rs 944.5 crore. BJD topped the chart of regional parties in terms of receiving electoral bonds as donations. It was followed by DMK, which has received bonds worth Rs 656.5 crore.
BJD is the fifth highest receiver of the bonds among all the parties in the country after BJP (Rs 6,986.5 crore), TMC (Rs 1,397 crore), Congress (Rs 1,334.35 crore) and BRS (Rs 1,322 crore).
Although the latest data shared by the ECI did not indicate the exact details of the companies that donated to BJD, several companies, including Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd, Utkal Alumina International Ltd, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Vedanta Ltd, Rungta Sons Pvt Ltd, Essel Mining and Industries Ltd, Grasim Industries Ltd, Thriveni Earth Movers Pvt Ltd, M/S SN Mohanty, Indrani Patnaik, Misrilall Mines Pvt Ltd, Orissa Metaliks Pvt Ltd, Shree Jagannath Steels and Power Ltd, Ramco Cements Ltd, JK Paper Ltd and Welspun Group, which are into infrastructure, mining, metal and other businesses in Odisha figure in the list of bond purchasers.