‘22,217 Electoral Bonds Purchased, 22,030 Redeemed By Political Parties’: SBI To

The State Bank of India on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that a total of 22,217 electoral bonds were purchased and 22,030 of them were redeemed by political parties.

The Chairman of SBI filed an affidavit in the top court apprising that in “compliance with its order, date of purchase of each Electoral Bond, the name of the purchaser and the denomination of the Electoral Bond purchased has been furnished to the Election Commission of India”.

The State-run bank also “furnished details regarding the encashment of the Electoral Bonds, name of political parties who received the contributions and the denomination of the said bonds,” the affidavit stated.

The data provided by SBI in respect of the bonds is between April 12, 2019 and February 15, 2024.

Earlier on Tuesday, the SBI meet with the deadline given by the top court and sent all electoral bond data to the poll governing body by 5:30 pm.

“In compliance with Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directions to the SBI, contained in its order dated February 15 and March 11, 2024, (in the matter of WPC NO.880 of 2017), data on electoral bonds has been supplied by State Bank of India to Election Commission of India, today, March 12, 2024,” a statement by the spokesperson of the ECI said.

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The received data will be published on the ECI’s website on March 15, 2024 for the general public. The bond filings, which was only submitted to the SC in sealed covers till now, will also be made public by the poll body.

The data submission came after the Supreme Court on Monday junked the bank’s plea seeking an extension till June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties before the scheme was scrapped last month.

A five-member Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud asked the SBI to submit the required data within the close of March 12 business hours.