Electoral Bonds data | Firms from Telangana, A.P. opened purse strings for multiple parties 

Companies in Hyderabad purchased electoral bonds for various political parties, revealing significant donations and recipients in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

From pharmaceutical drugmakers, healthcare providers, infrastructure as well as realty developers to those in educational services, several companies across industries in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had purchased electoral bonds that were encashed by different political parties.

The bonds, which in effect is the donation totalling several crore rupees made by the companies to the political parties, was not just for the political party in power as the instruments purchased by some of firms was also for parties that even the principal opposition, albeit the sum involved vastly differed and even relatively smaller.

Granular details of the electoral bonds bought by companies across the country emerged with the State Bank of India on March 21, 2024, releasing additional information pertaining to the bond scheme. The Supreme Court earlier this week had asked SBI to make a complete disclosure to the Election Commission of India for publication.

Infrastructure developer Megha Group, which at Rs.1,186 crore, had emerged as the largest purchased on electoral bonds from the region had donated to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Congress and TDP, something that pharma major Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories too did.

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Another company from Hyderabad in the pharma industry, Natco Pharma purchased electoral bonds that were encashed by Congress, BJP, BRS, TDP, Janasena Party and the YSRCP. Aurobindo Pharma, another well known name in the industry, along with its subsidiary Eugia Pharma Specialities purchased bonds totalling Rs.26 crore whose recipient was BJP.

There were also companies the recipient of whose electoral bonds were for one political party. Figuring in this list are pharma company Granules; and vaccine maker Bharat Biotech as well Chiron Behring Vaccines whose bonds were for TDP; while BJP was the recipient of bonds purchased by MSN Laboratories, Hetero, IT firm Cyient and construction firm NCC.