Following the recent upload of data on electoral bonds by the Election Commission of India on its website, concerns have arisen regarding the absence of the unique alphanumeric code associated with each bond, a detail crucial for linking donors with political parties. This omission has prompted the petitioners, represented by Prashant Bhushan on behalf of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in the Supreme Court, to consider seeking further legal recourse.
Expressing the petitioners’ intentions, Bhushan informed The Indian Express of their likely approach to the Supreme Court to advocate for the inclusion of the unique bond number in the data. This measure aims to establish a clear connection between donors and the political entities benefiting from the electoral bonds. Bhushan emphasized that the Supreme Court’s judgment implicitly necessitates the provision of this critical information. He stated, “The SBI has the unique number. We will probably go to court to demand the same. This was implicit in the Supreme Court judgment.”
In a social media post, Bhushan highlighted the significance of the serial numbers of the electoral bonds, emphasizing their role in identifying the donors and recipients, which, according to him, aligns with the Supreme Court’s directives. He pointed out that while the Election Commission’s data, purportedly received from the State Bank of India, lacks this crucial detail, the SBI’s affidavit indicates that the information is indeed recorded in separate databases.
Bhushan’s remarks follow the Election Commission of India’s publication of electoral bond data on its website, sourced from the State Bank of India. Jagdeep Chhokar, co-founder of ADR, acknowledged the ongoing deliberations regarding the available data, emphasizing a cautious approach to exploring its potential. Rather than hastily dismissing possibilities, Chhokar stressed the importance of thoroughly assessing the data’s utility before pursuing additional information, indicating a prudent course of action amidst the evolving situation.