CSK in India Cements top AIADMK bond contributors
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission revealed on Sunday that the AIADMK’s primary electoral bond contributors are the IPL team Chennai Super Kings and its promoter, India Cements.
All the bonds that AIADMK repaid were really issued by India Cements and the Chennai Super Kings, with the exception of two that came from a single donor named Gopal Srinivasan. Election bonds of Rs 6 crore were given to the party.
29 bonds of Rs 10 lakh each were provided, along with three donations of Rs 1 crore from India Cements and Chennai Super Kings.
In contrast, contributions to Sharad Pawar’s NCP came from a variety of sources and totaled Rs 65.6 crore. Neotia Foundation, Bharti Airtel, Cyrus Poonawalla, United Shippers, Bajaj Finserv, Atul Chordia, United Phosphorus, Oberoi Realty, and controversial builder Avinash Bhosle—who is under investigation by authorities—were among the various cast members.
Karnataka’s JD (S) was given bonds worth Rs 90 crore. The Embassy Group, Infosys, HealthCare Global Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Bicon Ltd (KM Hosur Road, Electronic City, Bengaluru), Megha Engineering & Constructions Pvtvt Ltd, JSW Steel, Shahi Exports Pvt Ltd, Biocon Group (which is also under the ED’s scanner), Amara Raja Group, and Aditya Birla Group are among those it has declared as donors.
Bonds of Rs 227 crore were given to Shiv Sena; according to information provided by the party, the bulk of the bonds were granted to it from Hyderabad and Mumbai.
Other parties who revealed their funders via bonds until the Election Commission (EC) requested pertinent information in November 2023 on the Supreme Court’s orders include the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Samajwadi Party, AAP, Goa Forward Party, and Sikkim Democratic Front. On October 12, 2018, Vadodara-based Alembic Pharmaceuticals gave Rs 50 lakh to SDF.
