The BJP on Thursday sidestepped a formal response over the Supreme Court’s electoral bond ruling, saying the lengthy judgment requires “comprehensive study” for a “structured reply”, betraying disappointment over the verdict on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections.

While refusing to respond, the ruling party firmly defended the electoral bonds, stressing the decision was for a “very laudable objective to bring in transparency in electoral funding” and slammed the Congress, accusing it of playing politics over the court’s ruling.

Internally, however, the ruling dispensation indicated that it was “very upset” by the ruling, fearing that the Supreme Court may have handed a potent political issue to the Opposition just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“Since the judgment is of a constitution bench running into hundreds of pages, it requires a comprehensive study and thereafter a structured reply,” former law minister and BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a media address.

Prasad went on to praise the electoral bonds while saying that the party respects the Supreme Court. “This decision was taken for a very laudable objective of bringing transparency in electoral funding. It was also aimed to reduce the influence of cash on elections,” he said, defending the bonds termed “unconstitutional” by the Supreme Court.

He said the government had taken the decision as the donors also wanted secrecy and that it was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effort to usher in electoral reforms.

Privately, some ministers and party leaders expressed anger over the ruling and hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team would soon come up with a counter. “The Supreme Court has the power to review laws but law-making is Parliament’s domain. We are hopeful that the government will soon find a way to address the issue,” a senior BJP leader said.

Asked if the government can bring an ordinance to overrule the court, the BJP leader felt that doing so could send a “wrong message” among the people on the eve of the elections. “I feel that the government will not bring an ordinance. But let’s wait for Modiji and his team to respond,” the leader said.

Prasad and other BJP leaders focused on slamming the Congress for alleging that the electoral bond scheme was a “black money exchange” method. “Those whose DNA is based on corruption and bribery, please don’t make the allegation against the BJP,” Prasad said.

Prasad took a swipe at the Congress for criticising the electoral bonds, saying that the scheme deprived the Opposition of a level playing field in elections. The BJP leader, without taking the Congress’s name, said the party had been “pushed out of the field by the people”.