"No Scope For Hiding Things In Democracy": Election Chief On Electoral Bonds

The Election Commission, asked today about political funding through electoral bonds -- a process scrapped recently by the Supreme Court -- said it was "all for transparency". "There is no scope for hiding things in democracy.

"Democracy is all about letting people know, share... we are all for it," said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at a press conference to announce the dates for the general election.

"The Commission is always in favour of transparency right from the stage when we submitted our response (to the issue) in the Supreme Court," Mr Kumar said.

On whether it is possible induce political parties to reveal the amounts of donation, as happens in the US, he said the country "now has to ask and find a solution through an institutional mechanism where the donor's identity is also not revealed".

The Commission, he said, has made it mandatory for every political party to disclose the amount of donation it is receiving. After every election they have to disclose how much they spent in that election and also submit an annual account.

These, he added, are published on the Commission's website.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had scrapped the Electoral Bond Scheme, objecting to the unlimited and undisclosed funding through corporate donations that come with strings attached.

The top court had called it unconstitutional, saying information about funding of political parties is essential for making electoral choices since the system leads to tweaking of the country's policies in favour of the donor.

"Political contributors get access... this access leads to policy making... because of the nexus between money and voting.
Financial supports to political parties can lead to quid pro quo arrangement," said Chief Justice of India Chandrachud.

While Indian election system involves secret ballot, the cloak of anonymity cannot be extended to political donations above the Rs 2000 threshold, the court said.