The BJP has received 76.17 per cent of the contributions to the election fund of political parties through the Electoral Trust. According to a report released by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), the BJP received Rs 276 crore in donations in 2019-20. The Congress, which came next, got Rs 58 crore. This is 15.98 per cent of the donations received by all political parties.
The major contributors were JSW, Apollo Tires, India Bulls, Delhi International Airport and DLF Group. The largest contributor was JSW Steel Limited at Rs 39.10 crore. Apollo Tires contributed Rs 30 crore and Indiabulls Infrastate Ltd. contributed Rs 25 crore to various parties. Eighteen individuals contributed to the Electoral Trust. Ten individuals donated Rs 2.87 crore to the Prudential Electoral Trust. Five contributed to the Small Donation Electoral Trust (Rs. 5.50 lakhs) and four to the Indigenous Electoral Trustees (Rs. 1 lakh).
Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena, Yuvajan Jagriti Party, JJP, JDU, JMM, LJP, SAD, INLD, JKNC and RLD received Rs 25.46 crore. Electoral trusts are non-profit organizations formed under Section 25 of the Companies Act. There are 21 such trusts across India. The practice is to receive money from individuals and companies and transfer it to the parties tax-free.