The BJP received Rs 356 crore in donations from an electoral trust controlled by the Tata Group during 2018-19, according to documents submitted by the ruling party to the Election Commission.
According to information provided by the BJP to the EC on October 31, the party received a total of over Rs 700 crore in donations through cheques and online payments during the financial year 2018-19.
Around half the contributions — Rs 356 crore — were made by the Tata-controlled Progressive Electoral Trust.
India’s richest trust — the Prudent Electoral Trust — donated Rs 54.25 crore to the BJP, according to the documents.
The Prudent Electoral Trust is backed by top corporate houses including Bharti Group, Hero MotoCorp, Jubilant Foodworks, Orient Cement, DLF and JK Tyres, among others.
The information provided pertains to donations of Rs 20,000 and above that the BJP received through cheques or online payments. Donations received in the form of electoral bonds were not included in the filing.
