The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has acquired Rs 944.5 crore via electoral bonds over the past six years from 2018-19 to 2023-24 (as much as September).
Information submitted by the BJD to the Election Fee, now obtainable on the ECI web site, reveals the breakdown of those donations.
Within the preliminary three years, the social gathering acquired Rs 213.5 crore in 2018-19, Rs 50.5 crore in 2019-20, and Rs 67 crore in 2020-21. Subsequently, there was a big enhance, with the next three years contributing over Rs 613 crore.
The best quantity was recorded in 2021-22, reaching Rs 291 crore, adopted by Rs 170.50 crore in 2023-24 (as much as September) and Rs 152 crore in 2022-23.
In the meantime, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has raised issues concerning the sources of those donations, notably from mining and metal industries, urging the BJD to reveal the explanations behind such substantial contributions through electoral bonds over the previous six years.
AICC media coordinator for Odisha, Bobbeeta Sharma, remarked that the BJD has emerged because the wealthiest regional social gathering in India inside simply six years, attributing this to donations from firms investing in Odisha.
“Naveen Patnaik-led BJD social gathering has change into the richest regional social gathering in India from firms which have invested within the state via electoral bonds inside the six-year interval from 2018-19 to 2023-24,” she stated.
Distinguished company homes who’ve contributed via electoral bonds are Aditya Birla Group’s Essel mining which donated Rs 174.5 crore, Utkal Alumina (Rs 70 crore), Grasim Industries (Rs 10 crore), JSPL (Rs 100 crore), Rungta Sons Pvt Ltd (Rs 50 crore), Jindal Metal (Rs 30 crore), and Rashmi Group (Rs 90 crore), she claimed.
Equally, Rashmi Metallic Ltd has donated Rs 27 crore to the BJD, whereas SN Mohanty has given Rs 45 crore, Vedanta Ltd (Rs 40 crore), Penguin Buying and selling Company Ltd (Rs 30.5 crore), the Congress chief stated.
“BJP is utilizing central businesses just like the IT, CBI and ED towards many company homes and was capable of encash Rs 8,252 crore out of Rs 16,518 crore collected by varied political events within the final 5 years,” she additional alleged.
Sharma accused the BJP of exploiting electoral bonds whereas allegedly focusing on the financial institution accounts of the Indian Nationwide Congress social gathering, notably in regards to the upcoming elections.
Get together’s state spokesperson Rajani Mohanty requested, “Why these mines homeowners and metal industries have paid enormous quantities via electoral bonds to BJD? What profit did the mine homeowners and the economic home get in return?
The BJD should make clear it to the individuals of Odisha.” Nevertheless, the BJD was but to react to the donations acquired via the electoral bonds.