ECI uploads data received in digitized form from Supreme Court on electoral bonds

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a crucial step by making public the data pertaining to electoral bonds received from the registry of the Supreme Court. This move follows the directives of the Supreme Court in the matter of WP NO.880 of 2017.

In compliance with the orders dated February 15 and March 11, 2024, issued by the Supreme Court, the ECI had previously uploaded information on Electoral Bonds provided by the State Bank of India (SBI). This disclosure, made through a press note released by the Commission on March 14, 2024, marked a significant development in fostering transparency in political funding.

The journey towards transparency began with political parties submitting data on Electoral Bonds in sealed covers, as directed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court's interim order dated April 12, 2019. These sealed covers, containing crucial information, were lodged with the Supreme Court registry without being opened.

In line with the Supreme Court's order dated March 15, 2024, the registry of the Supreme Court has returned physical copies of the data, along with a digitized record stored in a pen drive, all enclosed within sealed covers. Subsequently, the Election Commission of India has made this digitized data accessible to the public through its official website.

Citizens and stakeholders interested in understanding the nuances of political funding and the role of electoral bonds can now access the data directly from the Election Commission's website using the following link: ECI Electoral Bond Data