The Election Commission has asked all political parties that have received donations through the Electoral Bond Scheme since its inception to provide details of donations received by them by November 15.

On November 2, the Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission to submit details of donations received by various political parties through electoral bonds by September 30, 2023, in a sealed envelope.

In a letter written to the heads of all political parties on November 3, the Commission has also asked them to share complete details of the donor of each electoral bond and the amount of each bond.

The Commission said in the letter that these details should be sent in double sealed envelopes. The first sealed envelope will contain the particulars relating to the electoral bond and the second sealed envelope will contain the details of the first sealed envelope which will be sent to the Secretary of its Electoral Expenditure Division.

According to the Commission, these sealed envelopes should reach by the evening of November 15.

Also, the envelopes should be clearly marked 'Confidential-Electoral Bond'. The Supreme Court had issued an order on November 2 saying, 'This exercise will be done on or before November 19, 2023. The data will be handed over to the Registrar (Judicial) of this court in a sealed packet.'

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had also referred to the apex court's interim directions of April 12, 2019, which had asked political parties to provide details of donations received through electoral bonds to the Election Commission in a sealed cover.

The apex court had refused to stay the electoral bond scheme in April, 2019, but had clarified that it would conduct a detailed hearing on the petitions filed in this regard. It is noteworthy that the Electoral Bond Scheme was notified by the government on January 2, 2018 as an alternative to cash donations to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding.