Sharad Pawar-led NCP welcomes SC decision to strike down electoral bonds

Mumbai, Feb 15 (PTI) The Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction on Thursday said the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the electoral bonds scheme is a welcome move and there should be transparency and accountability of every donation that comes to a political party.

NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar spokesperson Clyde Crasto claimed the electoral bonds scheme was brought to practice to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party from anonymous donors and BJP is the only party that has benefited from it since it was implemented.

This scheme cannot rule out the possibility of a 'quid pro quo' from an individual or a company to a political party and therefore seeing the quantum of electoral bonds received by the BJP, this is a possibility, he added.

"The Supreme Court's decision to strike down the electoral bonds scheme, calling it "unconstitutional", is a very welcome move. There should be transparency and accountability of every donation that comes to a political party," Crasto said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the electoral bonds scheme, saying it violates the right to information and freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud delivered two separate but unanimous verdicts on pleas challenging the scheme.

The SC also ordered the State Bank of India to disclose to the Election Commission the names of the contributors to the six-year-old scheme for political funding. PTI