EC to take a call on electoral bonds soon

EC to take a call on electoral bonds soon

Context

Electoral Bonds

Backdrop

The Union government notified the electoral bond scheme on January 2. The amendment to Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act has made it no longer mandatory for the parties to report the details of donations received through the bonds. It is not clear how the details of the bonds will be shared with the Election Commission. However, the issuing bank has their money trails.

Eligibility for electoral bonds

Under the rule, only registered political parties which have secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in the previous Lok Sabha or Assembly elections are eligible for these bonds

• The first round of sales was allowed in the designated branches of the State Bank of India (SBI) in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai

Election Commission’s view on Electoral bonds

Election Commission had told a parliamentary committee that the introduction of electoral bonds would be a retrograde measure in the effort to make political funding transparent. It had submitted that the changes made to the election laws for the bonds could compromise transparency.