Electoral bonds: How much did Santiago Martin, India's top donor, give to TMC?

Santiago Martin, the biggest purchaser of the electoral bonds, donated the highest amount of Rs 542 crore to Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), according to the SBI data released Thursday by the Election Commission.

The owner of the Future Gaming also donated to DMK, YSR Congress, BJP and Congress.

Here’s a closer look.

TMC receives highest amount from top donor

The TMC received Rs 1,610 crore through electoral bonds from 211 donors between 12 April, 2019 and 24 January, 2024 — receiving highest amount of Rs 542 crore from ‘Lottery King’ Santiago Martin ’s company Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd.

In addition to Future Gaming, the TMC received Rs 281 crore from Haldia Energy and Rs 90 crore from Dhariwal Infrastructure. MKJ Enterprises and AVEES Trading Finance donated more than Rs 45 crore each. Other donors for Mamata Banerjee’s party include IFB Agro Industries, Chennai Green Woods, PCBL, Prarambh Securities, and Crescent Power, according to an Indian Express report citing EC data.

While the TMC received Rs 542 crore from the firm, the DMK, which is in power in Tamil Nadu, received Rs 509 crore, accounting for more than 77 per cent of the total amount received. The company donated Rs 160 crore to Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). The BJP received Rs 100 crore, while Congress received Rs 50 crore.

According to data analysed by News18, nearly 90 per cent of the firm’s total donations went to the three parties – TMC, DMK, and YSRCP.

Additionally, Future Gaming also donated to Sikkim Krantikari Morcha and Sikkim Democratic Front, as per a Hindustan Times report. The two parties of Sikkim, one of the few states where lottery is legal, together got less than Rs 10 crore.

While a plethora of well-known corporates bought the bonds when the electoral bond scheme was alive, the biggest donor to political parties, Future Gaming, purchased bonds worth Rs 1,368 crore.

Other donors

The second-biggest donor is known to be Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering, which has given Rs 966 crore to various parties including BJP, Bharat Rashtra Samiti and DMK.

Megha Engineering donated Rs 584 crore to the BJP, around 55 per cent of its total donations. The firm’s donation in the BJP’s total earnings from bonds stood at just about nine per cent. The party, over the last few years, got Rs 6,060 crore from electoral bonds.

Qwik Supply, the third largest donor to political parties using electoral bonds, bought Rs 410 crore bonds between 2021-22 and 2023-24, and gave Rs 395 crore to the BJP and Rs 25 crore to the Shiv Sena.

Qwik Supply Chain Private Ltd, a little-known company with a registered address at Navi Mumbai’s Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) and having links to Reliance Industries, is described as a manufacturer of warehouses and storage units, gave no money any other political party.

BJP was the major receiver of funds from big corporate groups like Vedanta, Bharti Airtel, Muthoot, Bajaj Auto, Jindal group and TVS Motor.

The Election Commission on Thursday made public a fresh data set of electoral bonds, including their alpha-numeric numbers that can help match their purchasers with the political parties that received the funds.

Vedanta group gave donations to BJP Congress, BJD and TMC while Bharti Airtel donated to BJP, RJD, SAD, Congress, Bihar Pradesh Janta Dal (United).

Muthoot donated to BJP, NCP Maharahstra Pradesh, Bajaj group to BJP and AAP Apollo Tyres to Congress, Keventers to BJP and Congress.

Industrialist Lakshmi Niwas Mittal donated to the BJP, while Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw donated to BJP, TMC and Congress.

Rungta Sons Private Limited donated to Congress, BJP, TMC and Sikkim Krantikari Morcha.

Pharmaceutical companies Piramal capital and Sun pharma donated to the BJP while Torrent pharmaceutical Limited donated to BJP, AAP and Congress, Natco Pharma gave BJP, TDP, TMC and BRS.

With inputs from PTI