Politicians add to TD, TRS kitty mostly

Commoners, private companies in TS and AP contribute `5.46 cr to BJP

Around 90 per cent of donors who have contributed more than `20,000 to the Telugu Desam and Telangana Rashtra Samiti parties are politicians.

In 2016-17, TS home minister N. Narasimha Reddy, deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali, minister and MLA T. Harish Rao, TS transport minister P. Mahender Reddy, MLAs and MLCs and even the TS RTC chairman Somarapu Satyanarayana were among donors to the TRS.

The Konda couple (MLA Konda Surekha and MLC Muralidhar Rao) donated `1 lakh each. Among the 25 donors in TS, 22 were politicians.

In AP, the big donors to the TD turned out to be minister for municipal administration Narayana Ponguru (`25 lakh) and his family, including a donation in the name of his deceased son, and MP Srinivasulu Reddy Magunta (`15 lakh).

TD MP Jaydev Galla, former Union minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and AP education minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao were also among the big donors. TD chief’s brother-in-law and actor N. Balakrishna contributed `50,000.

The BJP has emerged as the richest party in India with `1,034 crore income. Though it does not have a large presence in the Telugu states, it received ten times the donations (from known sources) of the two parties in power.

Common people and private companies in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have contributed ` 5.46 crore to the BJP.

Around 90 per cent of donors who have contributed more than `20,000 to the Telugu Desam and Telangana Rashtra Samiti parties are politicians.

From the list of known donors of the TD submitted to the Election Commission, the total collected from contribution (greater than `20,000) is `1,89,69,997. While for the TRS it is, even more, fewer `34,18,333.

The amount will be more if donation below `20,000 is taken into account. Yet this does not reach the contribution Telugus made to the BJP.

Kakinada Seaport Limited, located in Gayatri Nagar, Vijayawada, made the biggest contribution of `5 crore.

In Telangana, Navayuga Engineering Company Hyderabad was the biggest contributor to the BJP’s coffers with `30 lakh.

The funds from the two states will be higher if the sum below `20,000 is taken into consideration.

Some of the companies and individuals who have contributed in lakhs have chosen to conceal their identity.