Electoral bonds worth ₹5,851.41 crore were bought by donors to fund political parties between March 2018 and May 2019, of which 80.6% were redeemed in New Delhi, where the headquarters of major parties are located, reply to an RTI query has revealed.
Chandrashekhar Goud, an RTI activist based in Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch, on Sunday shared the information furnished by the State Bank of India in response to his two queries.
Electoral bonds worth ₹874.50 crore were sold in 10 phases in New Delhi to raise funds, but the value of bonds redeemed in the national capital was more than five times at ₹4,715.58 crore, he said.
Electoral bonds worth ₹1,782.36 crore were purchased in Mumbai, but only 7% of them worth ₹121.13 crore were encashed there, Mr. Goud said.
Bonds worth ₹1,389 crore were sold in Kolkata, but just 12% of them worth ₹167.50 crore were redeemed in the West Bengal capital, he added.
Mr. Goud said the RTI reply neither provided the names of the donors, nor the party-wise quantum of funds raised through the exercise.
