15 Firms Make 70% Donations To The Largest Electoral Trust

Fifteen business groups accounted for about 70% or ₹785.985 crore of the ₹1,075.71 crore that the Prudent Electoral Trust (PET), the largest electoral trust in the country, received in FY24, documents available on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website showed.

- Aditi Agrawal

NEW DELHI:

Of the ₹1,075.68 crore that PET disbursed to six parties, the BJP received the lion's share at ₹723.78 crore, or 67.3%, followed by the Congress at ₹156.4 crore or 14.5%. The BRS received ₹85 crore or 7.9% followed by the YRCP at ₹72.5 crore (6.7%) and the TDP at ₹33 crore (3.1%). The Janasena Party received a lone donation of ₹5 crore from PET.

While the ECI recognises 19 electoral trusts, the contribution reports of only 14 are available on the ECI website. Of these 14, only five electoral trusts, including PET, received donations in FY24. The top donors to PET were ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India and DLF, each of which donated ₹100 crore.

Of the ₹75 crore ArcelorMittal donated on January 6, PET transferred ₹65 crore to the BJP and the remaining ₹10 crore to Congress on January 8. The ₹25 crore that Arcelor Mittal donated on February 26 was transferred to BJP on February 28. This was followed by Hyderabad-based Maatha Projects that donated ₹75 crore.