scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Friday, March 6, 2026
TopicElectoral bonds

Topic: electoral bonds

An electoral bond is a financial instrument for making donations to political parties. According to the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, it is a bond issued in the nature of a promissory note, which shall be bearer in character. A bearer instrument is one which does not carry the name of the buyer or payee, no ownership information is recorded and the holder of the instrument (i.e. political party) is presumed to be its owner.

The scheme allows individuals, who are citizens of India, and domestic companies to donate these bonds — issued in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 1 crore — to political parties of their choice. The Supreme Court of India on February 15, 2024, struck down the electoral bonds scheme for anonymous funding to political parties as “unconstitutional”.

Why electoral ‘reform’ is cause for worry—the Modi govt uses it to cement political hold

Amitabh Dubey -
‘Reform to deform' is a better description of the Modi government’s approach to election procedures. This is not hyperbole. Consider the record.

SubscriberWrites: Reels, Memes, and Votes– BJP’s blind spot in the age of Saiyaara

Ram Nivas Kumar -
Despite being a frontrunner in organizational strength and electoral management, BJP has not fully capitalized on youth preferred social media platforms and meme-based communication.

The name’s Bond, Electoral Bond & Let them eat… *checks notes*… Ukraine

ThePrint Team -
The best cartoons of the day, chosen by the editors at ThePrint.

What is ‘electoral bonds extortion’ complaint that led to FIR against Sitharaman, BJP office-bearers

Mayank Kumar -
Scope of complaint not limited to Vedanta or Aurobindo Pharma, will now get FIRs registered in other cases of ‘extortion’ of donors of electoral bonds, complainant tells ThePrint.

CBI books Megha Engg, 2nd-biggest electoral bonds buyer, and steel ministry officials in graft case

Bismee Taskin -
Initial complaint was lodged by chief vigilance officer of NMDC Ltd, Hyderabad, after which CBI led a preliminary inquiry into alleged corruption in a Rs 315-crore steel plant project.

SubscriberWrites: Relooking at SBI & electoral bonds through lens of data aggregation & reporting

Shraddha Kokane -
Despite the Supreme Court being the recipient, SBI’s initial reluctance in submission by asking for an extension for three months, questions the hygiene of maintaining data by the bank

Kalaignar & the ‘Lottery King’ — top poll bond donor Santiago Martin’s close tryst with the DMK

Prabhakar Tamilarasu -
Future Gaming's electoral bond contributions accounted for 77.5 percent of the DMK's total donations. His proximity to DMK is believed to have led to Jayalalithaa banning lottery in 2003.

Kolkata Police closed 2 cases against Future Gaming around the time it donated to TMC via poll bonds

Sreyashi Dey -
In both cases, lodged in 2019, lottery users accused the firm of misappropriating funds. Police filed closure reports in both even as ED was conducting a money-laundering probe.

Electoral bonds stink. PM Modi must ask tough questions to BJP fund managers

+TFP D.K. Singh -
PM Modi can’t keep track of every donation the party receives and every clean chit a party-led government gives. So it's up to him to rise above the emerging consensus & ask tough questions.

Nil for BSP, mere 14 cr for SP — how Oppn parties in UP fared among electoral bonds recipients

Shikha Salaria -
SP, BSP accuse BJP of misusing state machinery to secure political contributions, endorse ex-CEC’s idea that exchequer fund political parties based on their electoral performance.
Load more

On Camera

YourTurn

Opinion

Oil crisis to trade disruption—why India must try to reshape regional balance in West Asia

Seshadri Chari -
India has to play a seminal role in this process of reshaping the regional balance, or else lose the strategic, economic and geopolitical gains made in the past decades.

This oil shock hits differently for the US

Nitish’s exit is good for Bihar. It’s the beginning of JD(U)’s end and BJP’s supremacy

+TFP

Economy

India has options beyond choked Strait of Hormuz. But conditions apply

Udit Bubna -
Nearly 50% of India’s crude imports are exposed to the chokepoint. So far this year, India has imported an average of 2.6 million barrels per day (mbpd) from Gulf countries.

Defence

Indian Navy says it deployed P-8I, diverted ships to boost efforts to rescue sunk Iran warship’s crew

Snehesh Alex Philip -
Two Indian naval ships involved in the search and rescue operations in connection with IRIS Dena, which was operating 20 NM West of Galle in SAR region under Sri Lankan responsibility.

National Interest

Pakistan is fighting a two-front war. I saw it coming 15 yrs ago

Shekhar Gupta -
The Pakistani political leadership is weak and devoid of any intellect. Its diplomacy is entirely India-China-US focused and suffers from a presumptive view of Afghanistan as a vassal.

Follow us

Copyright © 2025 Printline Media Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.