Electoral Bonds: SBI submits all details to Election Commission

New Delhi: State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman on Thursday filed a compliance affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that all details of Electoral Bonds, including the alphanumeric numbers, have been disclosed to the Election Commission. 

On March 21, 2024, the SBI provided /disclosed all details of the Electoral Bonds which are in its possession and custody to the Election Commission of India, the SBI affidavit said.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the State Bank of India to make a complete disclosure of all details related to electoral bonds, including the unique bond numbers that would disclose the link between the buyer and the recipient political party, by March 21.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said there is "no manner of doubt" that the SBI is required to disclose complete details of the bonds.

It directed the SBI chairman to file an affidavit before it by 5 pm on March 21 indicating that the bank has disclosed all the details.

On April 12, 2019, the apex court issued an interim order directing that the information about the donations received and donations which will be received must be submitted by political parties to the EC in a sealed cover.

In its landmark verdict on February 15, the top court had scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it "unconstitutional" and ordered disclosure by the EC of donors, the amount donated by them and the recipients by March 13.