JD(S) got poll bonds from Infosys, Biocon, JSW Steel
Documents show party received ₹48.75 crore before April 12, 2019 and ₹43 crore thereafter; its biggest donor, Embassy Group, emerged as the sole bidder of Bengaluru’s pod taxi project in 2018
The Election Commission of India on Sunday disclosed new documents listing the corporations and individuals who contributed to the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka before April 12, 2019, through the electoral bond route. The documents reveal that these donors contributed a total of ₹48.75 crore to the party from March 8, 2018 to April 5, 2019.
Initially, these details were submitted to the Supreme Court in sealed envelopes. The top court instructed the commission to make this information available to the public.
The commission disclosed details last week of electoral bonds issued after April 12, 2019. After this date, the JD(S) received ₹43 crore, although the names of the individual donors are yet to be released.
The JD(S) is one of a few regional parties that have revealed the names of those who donated to them through electoral bonds. In 2018, the party secured ₹1 crore from Infosys Technologies, ₹22 crore from the Embassy Group, ₹25 lakh from Health Care Global Enterprises, and ₹50 lakh from Biocon, the biopharmaceutical company founded by Kiran MazumdarShaw.
Biggest donor
Notably, according to media reports, the Embassy Group — the biggest donor to the JD(S) — was part of a consortium that emerged as the sole bidder of Bengaluru’s controversial pod taxi project in January 2018. It also signed an MoU with the Karnataka government in March 2019 “for the allround development of children in Bangalore”, according to the company’s website.
In 2019, a contribution of ₹10 crore was made by a Hyderabadbased company named Megha Engineering and Constructions — distinct from Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), which is ranked second among companies that purchased the highest amount of electoral bonds (by value). The party also got ₹5 crore from JSW Steel Ltd., India’s second largest private sector steel company. The Biocon group donated ₹1 crore again in 2019, taking their total tally to 1.5 crore. Shahi Exports Ltd., the largest apparel manufacturing company in India, also donated ₹1.5 crore. Finally, the Aditya Birla group donated ₹50 lakh and the Amar Raj Group ₹2 crore.
In May 2019, the Karnataka government decided to execute a leasecumsale agreement with JSW Steel Ltd., pertaining to 3,666 acres of land allotted to the company in 200607. The JSW had paid for the land at the guidance rate at the time and was asked to pay the difference from the current rate at the time.
The Biocon group donated ₹1 crore again in 2019 and Shahi Exports gave ₹1.5 crore to JD(S)