Bonds linked to project clearances by BRS govt.

Similarly, the second unit of Kerala’s Kitex Garments was established in Ranga Reddy district on September 28, 2023, and Kitex Childrenwear bought bonds for ₹10 crore on October 12 and the BRS encashed the same on October 16. The same company had started its first unit in Warangal and the BRS government announced on June 16, 2023, that the unit would become operational. After three weeks on July 5, the company bought ₹15 crore bonds and the same were encashed by the BRS on July 17.

From pharmaceutical drugmakers, healthcare providers, infrastructure as well as realty developers to those in educational services, several companies across industries in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had purchased electoral bonds that were encashed by different political parties.

The bonds were not just for the political party in power but also for parties that were not even principal Opposition, albeit the sum vastly differed, with relatively smaller amounts for some recipients.

Infrastructure developer Megha Group, through several group firms, had emerged as the largest purchaser of electoral bonds from the region – for ₹1,186 crore, which it donated to several parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got the most at ₹584 crore while some of the other recipients were the BRS (₹195 crore), DMK (₹85 crore), YSRCP (₹37 crore); TDP (₹28 crore) and the Congress, which got ₹22.5 crore.

Recipients of the bonds bought by pharma major Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories were the BRS, which got ₹32 crore; BJP ₹25 crore; Congress ₹14 crore; and TDP ₹13 crore.

According to the data, Natco Pharma, another wellknown name in pharma industry from Hyderabad, purchased more than ₹69 crore worth electoral bonds that were encashed by the BRS, BJP, TDP, Congress, JanaSena Party and the YSRCP.

Aurobindo Pharma, a leader in the pharma industry and one of whose directors was arrested by ED in November 2022 in Delhi liquor policy case, donated ₹34.5 crore to BJP; ₹15 crore to the BRS and ₹2.5 crore to the TDP. Subsidiary Eugia Pharma Specialities purchased bonds for ₹15 crore that were encashed by the BJP.

There were also companies who bought electoral bonds and donated to one political party. Figuring in this list are pharma company Granules (bought bonds for ₹3 crore); and vaccine maker Bharat Biotech (₹10 crore) as well as Chiron Behring Vaccines (₹5 crore), which donated to the TDP, while the BJP was the recipient of bonds by IT firm Cyient (₹10 crore) and construction firm NCC (₹60 crore).

The BRS emerged as the fourth largest receiver of funds from the electoral bonds in the country pushing aside some of the biggest national parties. The party received donations to the tune of ₹1,322 crore through the bonds and more than half of the donations — worth ₹663 crore — were received in just four days.