New Delhi: Business houses donated a total of Rs 956.77 crore to national parties between 2012-13 and 2015-16, making up 89% of the total contribution from known sources, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Thursday. The BJP, it added, received the most corporate donations at more than Rs 705 crore.
Five national political parties considered for the report were the BJP, Congress, NCP, CPI and CPM.
The Mayawati-led BSP was not considered for this report despite being a national party as it had declared that it did not receive voluntary contributions above Rs 20,000 from any donor between 2012-13 and 2015-16.
The BJP received the maximum corporate donations of Rs 705.81 crore from 2,987 donors, followed by the Congress which received Rs 198.16 crore from 167 corporate donors, said the ADR, citing filings of political parties made to the Election Commission.
The CPI and CPM had the lowest share of corporate donations at 4% and 17%, respectively.
"Between 2012-13 and 2015-16, five national parties received a total of Rs 1,070.68 crore via voluntary contributions above Rs 20,000 out of which 89 per cent of Rs 956.77 crore was from corporates/business houses," the ADR report said.
Political parties are every year required to submit details of donors who made donations of more than Rs 20,000 in a financial year to the Election Commission.
“Between 2012-13 and 2015-16, BJP's and INC's voluntary contributions above Rs 20,000 from corporate/business houses was 92 per cent and 85 per cent, respectively,” the report said.
National parties received the maximum corporate donations in 2014-15, during which Lok Sabha elections were held, the report by the Delhi-based ADR said.
Corporate donations received in 2014-15 alone form 60% of the total corporate donations received between 2012-13 and 2015-16, it added.
Contributions from corporate/business houses have been divided into 14 sectors by ADR and does not form a part of the submission made by parties to the EC.
The sectors include trusts and group of companies, manufacturing, oil and power, mining, construction, exports/imports, real estate, among others.
The BJP, Congress and NCP received the maximum contributions from trusts and group of companies. The BJP received the highest — Rs 287.69 crore from trusts and group of companies, followed by the Congress (Rs 129.16 crore) and the NCP (Rs 15.78 crore).
Political parties reported receiving 262 donations worth Rs 10.48 crore from such corporate entities who have zero internet presence or if they do, there is ambiguity about the nature of their work, ADR said.
(With PTI inputs)
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