In one other RTI reply to The Indian Express, SBI knowledge confirmed that in 2018, when the sixth tranche of electoral bonds was bought from November 1 to November 11, the full gross sales added as much as Rs 184.20 crore. Elections to those 5 states have been held in November-December that yr.

The newest gross sales (twenty ninth tranche) underneath the electoral bond scheme noticed the very best gross sales in Telangana’s capital of Hyderabad (Rs 359 crore), adopted by Mumbai (Rs 259.30 crore), and Delhi (Rs 182.75 crore).

As has been the norm up to now, when it got here to encashing the ballot bonds, the New Delhi department had the very best quantity redeemed (Rs 882.80 crore). Hyderabad was a distant second at Rs 81.50 crore.

Among the opposite states the place elections have been held, ballot bonds including as much as Rs 31.50 crore have been bought in Jaipur (Rajasthan), Rs 5.75 crore in Raipur (Chhattisgarh), and Rs 1 crore in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). However, none of those three states recorded any encashment. No gross sales have been recorded in Mizoram.

Since the scheme ensures anonymity, the donors and recipients stay unknown, however the knowledge means that essentially the most funding got here from Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, and went to events in Delhi, pointing to nationwide events.

The newest tranche was introduced by the federal government on November 4, simply two days after the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on a batch of petitions difficult the validity of the electoral bond scheme.

The authorities had launched the scheme in 2018 with the purpose to extend transparency of political funding. However, critics have known as it opaque because the id of the donors is saved secret.

SBI is the one financial institution authorised to difficulty electoral bonds. The complete quantity collected by events by means of the ballot bond scheme, in 29 phases since 2018, has now gone as much as over 15,922.42 crore.