Blank cheque for parties, no check on their funds

POLITICALLY RICH: Political parties do not reveal all about their source of funds.

        

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The Election Commission cannot force parties to file contribution reports, nor question the details they reveal. The Nationalist Congress Party, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party often don’t submit documents on their funds source.

The Samajwadi Party doesn’t mention the dates on which it received cheques or the addresses of contributors; neither does it explain how its district presidents manage to cough up such huge amounts of cash

Right to Information (RTI) responses show that in 2003-2004, SP’s Etah president paid Rs 66 lakh in 10 demand drafts to the party. The party's Gonda president contributed Rs 11 lakh and its Mainpuri president gave nearly Rs 38 lakh.

The Election Commission admits that what parties reveal about their contributions is perhaps just a fraction of the real money. “We are aware of what is filed with us and then we give a certificate. That amount, we presume, will be reflected in the Income Tax return but beyond that, whether that is only a part of the amount or full amount, we would not be in a position to say,” says Gopalaswami.

With an average of three state elections each year, parties are always in need of funds. Privately, political leaders reveal how Chief Ministers can be called in the middle of the night to make sure funds reach the campaign headquarters in a poll-bound state.

A chief minister's worth sometimes depends on his or her fund-raising strength. But when a big business house is willing to finance a party, the chief minister could simply be a bystander.

It is an open secret that all parties accept contributions, says former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, who had to resign after being caught accepting money in a TV sting operation.

Laxman says the money was for the party. “People laugh at me for taking Rs 1 lakh; they say it is hardly enough for any party,” he says.