BJP bagged 70 per cent of donations received by parties from electoral trusts in 2022-23: ADR

New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) The BJP bagged more than 70 per cent of donations received by political parties from electoral trusts in 2022-23, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The NGO working for electoral reforms stated that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received about 25 per cent of the donations.

According to an analysis of contribution reports of electoral trusts for 2022-23, there are 39 corporate and business houses that contributed over Rs 363 crore to electoral trusts.

Thirty-four corporate and business houses contributed over Rs 360 crore to Prudent Electoral Trust, one company contributed Rs 2 crore to Samaj Electoral Trust, two companies contributed Rs 75.50 lakh to Paribartan Electoral Trust, and two companies contributed Rs 50 lakh to Triumph Electoral Trust, the ADR stated.

According to the data shared by them, the BJP received Rs 259.08 crore or 70.69 per cent of the total donations received by all political parties from electoral trusts.

The BRS received Rs 90 crore or 24.56 per cent of the total donations.

Three other political parties -- the YSR Congress, AAP and the Congress -- received a total of Rs 17.40 crore collectively, the ADR stated.

Prudent Electoral Trust donated Rs 256.25 crore to the BJP as compared to Rs 336.50 crore contributed in 2021-22, while Samaj ET Association donated Rs 1.50 crore of its total income to the BJP in 2022-23, the report by the ADR said.

Samaj Electoral Trust donated Rs 50 lakh to the Congress, while Prudent Electoral Trust donated to four political parties -- the BJP, BRS, YSR Congress and the AAP.