Biocon Limited Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw clarified that it was she who donated to several parties but not her company.
HD Kumaraswamy with son Nikhil Kumaraswamy at JD(S) Pancharatna Rathayatre event at Mulubagal, Kolar. (File picture/Supplied)
Fresh data of the electoral bonds revealed by the ECI on Sunday, 18 March has put the spotlight on the donations received by political parties through it.
The latest disclosure also sparked renewed scrutiny into political funding practices, which also revealed that the JD(S) received ₹89.75 crore in donations through electoral bonds.
A letter submitted to the ECI by JD(S) national president and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda on 9 November, 2023, disclosed the details of the electoral bonds that the party had received from the time of the scheme’s inception till 30 September 2023.
Embassy Group of Companies, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited, Biocon, JSW Steel Ltd, Amara Raja Groups and Infosys are the major donors for the regional party as per its submission.
Deve Gowda furnished the details of the eleven companies that donated electoral bonds between 20 March, 2018 and 18 April, 2023.
The ECI data revealed that the BJP received the maximum funds through electoral bonds since they were introduced in 2018.
Even though the data furnished by the JD(S) showed Biocon Limited as a donor, its Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw clarified that it was she who donated to several political parties, including the JD(S), through electoral bonds but not her company.
According to the latest ECI data, the JD(S) received ₹89.75 crore through the now “unconstitutional” electoral bonds.
It may be noted that the first set of data published by the ECI did not provide details on the donors to the party. The latest data uploaded on the ECI website on Sunday afternoon had the details of some of the donors.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the State Bank of India to submit details of donors and specifics of electoral bonds received and encashed by all political parties.
The JD(S) is one of the very few parties that has provided donor details to the ECI.
Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited, Megha Engineering and Construction Limited, Embassy Group of Companies, JSW Steel Ltd and Biocon Limited are some of the biggest donors of the JD(S), according to the party.
Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited and its subsidiaries bought electoral bonds worth ₹1,200 crore, of which ₹40 crore was encashed by the JD(S) on 18 March, 2023. This is the biggest benefactor of the JD(S).
Embassy Group of Companies donated ₹22 crore to this regional party between 20 March, 2018 and 17 May, 2018, making them the second highest donor for the JD(S).
Megha Engineering and Construction Limited donated ₹10 crore to the JD(S) on 19 March, 2019.
JSW Steel Limited and Shankaranarayana Construction Private Ltd donated ₹5 crore between 20 March, 2019 and 11 April, 2019. Biocon Limited and Amara Raja Group donated ₹2.5 core and ₹2 crore, respectively, between 14 May, 2018 and 15 April, 2019.
Shahi Exports Private Ltd donated ₹1.5 crore on 9 January, 2019. Narayana Murthy owned Infosys donated ₹1 core to the regional party on 20 August, 2018.
Aditya and Birla Group donated ₹50 lakh on 17 April, 2018 and Health Care Global Enterprises Private Limited donated ₹25 lakh on 17 April, 2018.
Ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls and 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, the JD(S) received ₹23.7 crore and ₹25 crore, respectively, from the benefactors.
After a series of tweets went viral about Biocon making donations to political parties, Biocon Limited Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw clarified on Monday that she donated to political parties in her personal capacity, not from Biocon Ltd.
In her post on X, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said: “Would like to clarify that Biocon did not make any political donation to JD(S) or any other party for elections.”
Would like to clarify that Biocon did not make any political donation to JDS or any other party for elections. At a personal level I purchased electoral bonds which I donated to JDS & several parties. My donations were nominal on the principle of funding election campaigns with…
— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) March 18, 2024
“At a personal level I purchased electoral bonds which I donated to JD(S) and several parties.”
“My donations were nominal on the principle of funding election campaigns with white money,” clarified Shaw.
Shedding light on the donations of Shaw to the regional party, JD(S) former spokesperson Tanveer Ahmed said: “You (Shaw) helped JD(S) campaign by donating money individually, not from Biocon.”
You helped JDS campaign by donating money individually , not from Biocon’. I remember you talking about electoral bonds as a good way to stop cash donations. Biocon didn’t give us any money, but your donation really helped us. I remember because I received Bonds from you. https://t.co/LBlPHgz4Pl
— Tanveer Ahmed 🇮🇳 (@TheTanveerAhmed) March 18, 2024
“I remember you talking about electoral bonds as a good way to stop cash donations. Biocon did not give us any money, but your donation really helped us. I remember because I received bonds from you,” recalled Tanveer and expressed his gratitude to Shaw.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
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