SBI informs SC it has submitted all data related to Electoral Bonds to Election Commission
New Delhi: The State Bank of India (SBI) informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that it has provided all electoral bonds data, including the alpha-numeric identification details associated with such bonds, to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In a recent affidavit submitted in compliance with the apex court's order dated March 18, SBI confirmed that it has furnished all necessary information to the poll body.
The affidavit outlined the details as follows:
- The purchaser's name
- The denomination and specific number of the bond
- The political party that has encashed the bond
- The last four digits of the bank account number of political parties
- The denomination and number of the bond encashed
As per the Supreme Court's directives, the ECI is now required to upload this data on its website.
The electoral bonds scheme, which allowed donors to anonymously contribute funds to a political party by purchasing bearer bonds from SBI, was introduced through the Finance Act, 2017. This amendment affected three other statutes - the Reserve Bank of India Act, the Income Tax Act, and the Representation of People Act.
Several petitions challenging at least five amendments made to different statutes through the Finance Act, 2017 were filed before the Supreme Court. Petitioners argued that these changes paved the way for unlimited and unchecked funding of political parties.
On February 15, after nearly seven years, the Court invalidated the Electoral Bonds Scheme and directed SBI to provide details of the political parties that received contributions through such bonds from April 12, 2019, to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Rejecting SBI's request for an extension on March 11, the Supreme Court directed the bank to disclose the following details for each electoral bond purchased:
- Name of purchaser
- Denomination of electoral bonds
- Details of each electoral bond redeemed by political parties, including the date of encashment
On March 15, the Court observed that SBI had not disclosed the bond numbers. Subsequently, on March 18, the Court instructed SBI to disclose all relevant information regarding electoral bonds, including the details of the alpha-numeric numbers attached to such bonds.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra elections: Five INDIA candidates move Bombay High Court against Mahayuti victories
Mumbai: Following their defeat in the Maharashtra assembly elections, five candidates from parties under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have filed petitions before the Bombay High Court, challenging the victories of rival Mahayuti candidates.
The candidates who have approached the court are Manohar Krishna Madhavi, Prashant Sudam Jagtap, Mahesh Kothe, Naresh Ratan Manera, and Sunil Chandrakant Bhusara. They are seeking the annulment of the election results in their contested constituencies, as reported by Bar and Bench on Wednesday.
The petitioners have alleged misconduct in the elections, including duplicate voting, concealed criminal cases, asset concealment, EVM malfunctions, bribery, and a lack of transparency in the election process, the report mentioned.
Madhavi, a Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Airoli, lost to BJP's Ganesh Chandra Naik. In his petition, Madhavi alleges that Naik and the Election Commission allowed duplicate voting entries and misused the electoral system by letting people vote multiple times during the elections.
Jagtap, a Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader, who contested from Hadapsar has challenged the election win of Chetan Vitthal Tupe, an NCP candidate from the Ajit Pawar faction. In his petition, Jagtap claims that Tupe hid his criminal cases and failed to disclose his income details, violating Section 125A of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
Kothe, another NCP (SP) candidate from Solapur North, has contested the election result where BJP's Vijaykumar Deshmukh emerged victorious. His petition claims that Deshmukh violated election rules as he concealed immovable properties and other assets. The petition also argues that the returning officer improperly accepted the nominations.
Manera, a Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Ovala-Majiwda, has challenged the election win of Pratap Baburao Sarnaik, an NCP (AP) MLA and current transport minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. The petition claims issues with the EVM-VVPAT system at one polling booth, which allegedly helped Sarnaik win. It also criticises the overall conduct of the election process.
Bhusara, a NCP (SP) candidate from Vikramgad constituency, has contested the victory of BJP's Harishchandra Sakharam Bhoye. According to Bhasura's plea, Bhoye used corrupt practices, including bribery to win, undermining the Representation of People Act. Additionally, the petition claims that there was a refusal to provide Form 17-C and CCTV footage reducing transparency in the election process.
