Bengaluru: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made public the state-wise and party-wise funding details of the political parties for the financial year 2015-16. As per the details compiled by the ECI on December 7, 2016, three major political parties of Karnataka i.e. ruling Indian National Congress (INC), the BJP and the Janata Dal (secular) have few interesting donors from Karnataka.
One of the interesting factors of this report is that many social activists who are known for bashing the political parties have also made donations to one or the other political party. Adding to it, political parties have also received donations from those who are in to tobacco business at the time when general public are demanding action against these companies.
When whole world is debating about corporate companies taking over the media houses which is expected to affect the impartiality of fourth estate of the democracy, a company which is running major media houses in the state has made contribution to a national party. Adding to this, MLAs, MLCs have made generous contribution to their respective political parties leaving eyebrows raised.
According to the ECI documents, in this financial year the JDS received Rs.60, 55,560 in the form of donations. This amount excludes payments made less than Rs.20, 000. Interestingly three donors have made highest contribution of Rs.10, 00,000 each. One among these three is T V Mohandas Pai, social activist cum entrepreneur. Rs.10 lakh contribution is also made in the name of Sai Gold Palace owned by MLC Saravana. MLA Kona Reddy and MLC Mr. Nagaraj S have donated Rs.1 lakh each. Ex MLC Mr. Hulinaikar made Rs. 5 lakh contribution in this period.
The BJP donors’ list includes few interesting names from the state. It includes Mangalore Ganesh Beedi (Rs.25, 000), DH Shankarmurthy (Rs.20,000), Kota Shrinivas Pujari (Rs.25,000), Jupiter Capital (Rs.3.5 crores), Sobha City (Rs.10 lakh), Kiran Majumdar Shaw (Rs.10 lakh), Mohandas Pai (Rs.10 lakh), Gold Finch Hotel (Rs.25 lakh), Micro labs ( Rs. 21 lakhs), NewHorrizon Vidya Mandir (Rs.10 lakh). Names of politicians from coastal region including Yashpal Suvarna, Somashekhar Bhat also appeared in the list.
It can be recalled that Jupiter Capital own two major media house of the state i.e. Kannada Prabha and Suvarna News.
Donors list of Indian National Congress (INC) has the names of all most all law makers from the state including BK Hariprasad, Dr. HC Mahadevappa, Mr. TB Jayachandra, Vinaykumar Sorake, HM Ambarish, JR Lobo and others. Major companies that made donations to the party include Golf Link Embassy Business Park, Arattukulam Developers and Global Engineering College run by energy minister DK Shivakumar. Interestingly highest donor from the state to the party is Mr DK Shivakumar with Rs.30 lakh donation.
Why political funding?
According to the sources in all the political parties’ one of the major benefit of making donations to political parties is the huge IT exemptions.
“It also helps the companies to lobby in the corridors of power. MLAs, MLCs donate their monthly salaries to the party fund to keep the higher up in good terms,” said a MLA who had earlier worked in the treasury department of a political party.