In a significant development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reported a substantial increase in its financial contributions during the first full financial year following the Supreme Court's landmark decision to scrap the Electoral Bond Scheme. The party's total kitty grew by approximately 53%, reaching a staggering Rs 6,073 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal year, compared to Rs 3,967 crore in the previous year.
Post-Bond Era Sees Surge, Not Slump
Contrary to expectations that the abolition of the anonymous donation mechanism might impact inflows, the BJP's financial report for 2024-25, submitted to the Election Commission on Friday, December 8, 2025, reveals a sharp upward trajectory. The Supreme Court had declared the Electoral Bond Scheme unconstitutional in February 2024, ordering full disclosure of donors. In the year preceding this ruling, 2023-24, about 42% of the BJP's Rs 3,967 crore came via electoral bonds.
The latest data shows that the party has adeptly navigated the new transparency regime, with donations reaching their highest level in the last five years. The report, which details all individual contributions exceeding Rs 20,000, underscores a major shift in the channels of political funding in India.
Breakdown: Trusts Lead, Corporates Follow
A detailed analysis of the contribution report reveals two primary streams of funding. Electoral Trusts emerged as the largest conduit, donating Rs 3,112 crore to the BJP. This amount represents a major portion of the total Rs 3,811 crore these trusts collected from various donors. Consequently, trusts accounted for roughly 52% of the BJP's total contributions.
The remaining 48%, or Rs 2,961 crore, flowed directly from other entities, including individual donors and corporate houses. This bifurcation highlights the continued reliance on institutional funding mechanisms even after the bond scheme's demise.
Who Are The Top Donors?
Beyond the trusts, several prominent Indian companies featured prominently in the BJP's list of top 20 donors for the year. Leading the pack was the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd with a contribution of Rs 100 crore. It was closely followed by Rungta Sons Private Limited (Rs 95 crore) and mining giant Vedanta Limited (Rs 67 crore).
The list of other significant corporate contributors includes:
- Macrotech Developers Limited (Rs 65 crore)
- Derive Investments (Rs 53 crore)
- Modern Road Makers Pvt Ltd (Rs 52 crore)
- Lotus Hometextiles Limited (Rs 51 crore)
Other notable names that contributed substantial amounts are Safal Goyal Realty LLP, ITC Limited, Global Ivy Ventures LLP, ITC Infotech India Ltd, Hero Enterprises Partner Ventures, Mankind Pharma Limited, and Hindustan Zinc Limited. Individual donor Suresh Amritlal Kotak also featured among the major contributors.
Context and Implications
The Electoral Bond Scheme was introduced in 2017-18 by the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who argued it would curb cash-based anonymous donations. Over its lifespan, political parties received over Rs 16,000 crore through these bonds, with the BJP being the primary beneficiary. The Supreme Court's scrapping of the scheme mandated full transparency, requiring the State Bank of India and the Election Commission to publish all donor and beneficiary details.
Under current regulations, corporations and individuals can donate to political parties via cheque, demand draft, or bank transfer, with parties obligated to declare these in their contribution and annual audit reports. The BJP's latest report demonstrates not just resilience but significant growth in declared donations under this system, setting a new benchmark for political fundraising in the post-electoral bond era and prompting discussions on the evolving nature of political finance in the world's largest democracy.
