InterGlobe Aviation, SpiceJet Among Buyers of Electoral Bonds

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In a significant revelation, InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of India's largest airline IndiGo, and SpiceJet have emerged as buyers of electoral bonds, according to data released on Thursday by the Election Commission of India.

InterGlobe Entities' Purchases

The data disclosed that three InterGlobe entities actively participated in the purchase of electoral bonds. InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, acquired electoral bonds worth Rs 5 crore on October 4, 2023. Additionally, InterGlobe Air Transport and InterGlobe Real Estate Ventures purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 11 crore and Rs 20 crore, respectively, on May 10, 2019.

IndiGo Promoter's Involvement

Notably, the IndiGo promoter also engaged in the purchase of electoral bonds. On April 7, 2021, the promoter acquired electoral bonds valued at Rs 20 crore.

SpiceJet's Electoral Bond Purchases

SpiceJet, another prominent airline in India, also participated in the purchase of electoral bonds. The data revealed that SpiceJet made three separate purchases of electoral bonds on January 8, 2021, April 9, 2021, and July 9, 2021, amounting to a total of Rs 65 lakh.

Lack of Immediate Response

Despite the release of this information, there have been no immediate comments or statements from either InterGlobe or SpiceJet regarding their involvement in the purchase of electoral bonds.

Election Commission's Disclosure

The Election Commission of India, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive, obtained the data on electoral bonds from the State Bank of India (SBI) on March 12. Subsequently, on Thursday, the commission released the details of the electoral bonds submitted by SBI in two parts.

Supreme Court's Verdict

It is worth noting that the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment on February 15, declared the Centre's electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional. The court deemed the scheme, which allowed anonymous political funding, to be in violation of the Constitution. Consequently, the court ordered the Election Commission to disclose information about donors, the amounts donated, and the recipients of electoral bonds.

The revelation of InterGlobe Aviation, SpiceJet, and the IndiGo promoter's involvement in the purchase of electoral bonds has garnered significant attention. As the Election Commission continues to disclose further details, the transparency brought about by the Supreme Court's verdict sheds light on the funding sources of political parties in India.