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BJP bags over Rs 705 crore in corporate doles since 2012, Congress distant second at Rs 198 crore

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9 years ago

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BJP bags over Rs 705 crore in corporate doles since 2012

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Analysis by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) of donations received by five national political parties between financial year 2012-2013 and 2015-16 shows that irrespective of its stint in power the BJP constantly raked in the maximum moolah in voluntary contributions above Rs 20,000 by corporates and trusts 

Whoever advised to ‘make hay while the sun shines’ possibly didn’t know of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s capability of earning hundreds of crores of rupees from corporate donations whether or not the party won general elections to rule the country.

An analysis of donations above Rs 20000 made to various political parties between financial year 2012-2013 and 2015-2016 shows how the BJP earned a staggering Rs 705.81 crore out of a total of Rs 1,070.68 crore donated by corporates and electoral trusts.

As much as 89 per cent – Rs 956.77 crore – of the total donations of Rs 1070.68 crore received by the five political parties whose donations receipts were analysed – came from corporates/business houses.

The analysis done by the Association of Democratic Reforms after studying filings made by political parties and electoral trusts before the Election Commission of India also highlights major anomalies in the manner in which political parties receive ‘voluntary contributions’ from big – or even non-descript – corporate houses and trusts.

The over Rs 705 crore donations received by the BJP from 2987 corporate donors is nearly three times the combined corporate donations received by the remaining four parties – the Congress, CPM, CPI and NCP – which declared the donations received by them. The Congress – which along with its allies in the UPA was in power at the Centre for at least two of four years that were analysed by ADR – received just Rs 198.16 crore from 167 such donors.

The two key Left parties – CPI and CPM – received the lowest amounts in donations, Rs 18 lakh and Rs 1.89 crore respectively while Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) received Rs 50.73 crore during the same period. No data was available for Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as the party claimed that it did not receive any donation of above Rs 20,000 (the cap beyond which details of donations received have to be made public).

Political parties are required to submit details of donors who have made donations above Rs 20,000 in a financial year (between April 1 and March 31) to the Election Commission of India, every year. Parties provide details of the name, address, Permanent Account Number (PAN), mode of payment and amount contributed by each donor who has donated above Rs 20,000 in their submission.

The BJP, Congress, and NCP – which collectively accounted for over 80 per cent of all donations received by the five political parties – made maximum monetary gains under the “trusts and group of companies” category, which included entities with interests in mining, real estate, power, newspapers and other businesses. This category of corporate/business houses alone donated Rs 432.65 crore to political parties between 2012-13 and 2015-16, says the ADR report. While the BJP received Rs 287.69 crore, the Congress got Rs 129.16 crore, and the NCP Rs 15.78 crore. The BJP received the highest donations from all 14 sectors defined in the ADR report – the maximum coming in from real estate companies – Rs 105.20 crore followed by mining, construction, exports/imports – Rs 83.56 crore – and then the chemicals/pharmaceuticals sector – Rs 31.94 crore.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1503052619020{margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-top-width: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;background-color: #a2b1bf !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]What is interesting – although predictably so – is the fact that donations received by political parties show a gradual increase as the country moved towards the Lok Sabha elections and then suddenly slumped – by over 80 per cent – once the elections were over in May 2014.

A cursory perusal of the ADR report reveals how in the financial year 2014-15, during which Lok Sabha elections were held, corporate donations constituted 60 per cent of the total money received by political parties between FY 2012-13 and 2015-16. Donations from corporates to national parties reduced by 86.58 per cent between FY 2014-15 and 2015-16. In numeric terms, the political parties received a total of Rs 82.4 crore in corporate donations in 2012-2013, which went up to Rs 224.60 crore in 2013-2014 and then surged to Rs 573.18 crore in the poll year of 2014-2015 before falling drastically to Rs 76.94 crore in the following fiscal.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Another curious take-away from the ADR report is that the parties collectively received Rs 384.04 crore in over 1900 donations which did not list the PAN details of the contributor. National parties have received Rs 355.08 crore from 1,546 donations which do not have address details in the contribution form. The ADR report says: “99 per cent of such donations without PAN and address details worth Rs 159.59 crore belong to BJP” and that “Such incomplete contribution reports must be returned to the parties by the ECI, to deter them from providing incomplete information.”

Furthermore, political parties reported receiving 262 donations worth Rs 10.48 crore from such corporate entities who have zero internet presence and even if they do, there is ambiguity about the nature of their work.

The Electoral Trusts

What is particularly noteworthy about ADR’s analysis is that it points at two Electoral Trusts – Satya Electoral Trust and General Electoral Trust – as being the largest contributors in monetary terms to the parties – mainly the BJP and Congress.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes had in 2013 made it mandatory for electoral trusts to register with it, declare their address and names of trustees, get a CIN number and annually file details of who they have received donations from during a financial year and the amounts that have been contributed towards different political parties. These trusts that could receive donations from various entities and then donate the money to political parties without having to disclose the original source of the funds; the only condition being that they had to donate 95 per cent of the total contributions received by them to political parties.

While both Satya and General Electoral Trusts donated generously to the BJP and Congress, little is known about the manner in which they operate. What arouses even more suspicion is that even though details of Satya group – which has donated Rs 193.62 crore to the BJP, Rs 57.25 crore to the Congress and Rs 10 crore to the NCP between 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 – are known, there is absolutely no information about the trustees, address or CIN Number of the General Electoral Trust.

The General Electoral Trust which was formed before the Electoral Scheme was launched by the Government in 2013, was the second highest corporate donor to BJP and INC. Between FY 2012-13 & 2015-16, it donated Rs 70.70 crore to the BJP and Rs 54.10 crore to the Congress but there is no information available with the CBDT or the EC on which companies the General Electoral Trust received this money from.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Congress to challenge Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination rejection in Madhya Pradesh High Court

Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan has announced that the party will challenge the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, alleging the decision was legally flawed and that the Election Commission failed to follow a consistent approach.

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6 hours ago

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July 7, 2026

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The Congress is preparing to challenge the rejection of senior leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, shifting the dispute from the political arena to the legal forum.

Weeks after her nomination was rejected ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the former Member of Parliament asserted that the decision was not the result of any lapse by Congress leaders, legal experts or those involved in preparing the nomination papers. Instead, she claimed the rejection was based on an incorrect legal interpretation.

Congress to file election petition

Natarajan said the party would file an election petition within the prescribed time and contest the entire process before the High Court. She also alleged that a deliberate narrative was created to portray the rejection as a consequence of negligence within the Congress, thereby diverting attention from the Election Commission’s role.

According to her, the Returning Officer rejected her nomination citing non-disclosure of information related to a pending case. However, she argued that Form-26, which candidates are required to submit along with their nomination papers, does not contain any specific provision requiring disclosure of such information.

Natarajan said she has contested multiple elections in the past and maintained that experienced legal experts within the Congress have handled nomination papers for years, making such an oversight highly unlikely.

Questions raised over Election Commission’s approach

The Congress leader also questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the matter, alleging that it failed to apply uniform standards in similar cases.

She referred to the case of Rajya Sabha candidate Parimal Nathwani in Jharkhand, claiming he was given 24 hours to rectify issues in his nomination papers, whereas she was not provided a similar opportunity. According to Natarajan, the differing treatment raises concerns about consistency in the poll body’s decision-making process.

Congress sources said the party’s legal cell is preparing the election petition under the guidance of senior lawyers. The dispute had earlier reached the Election Commission and subsequently the Supreme Court, but the party will now pursue the legal remedy available after the election process through the High Court.

The Congress has also alleged that the Election Commission did not act impartially during the proceedings. Party leaders claimed senior Congress representatives and lawyers reached the poll body on time to present their arguments, but the proceedings were delayed. They further alleged that the Election Commission had the authority to overturn the Returning Officer’s decision but chose not to intervene.

BJP rejects Congress allegations

The Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the Congress’ allegations, attributing the controversy to internal issues within the opposition party.

BJP state spokesperson Ajay Yadav said the rejection of Natarajan’s nomination was the result of internal infighting in the Congress. He also claimed that the senior leader had been sidelined within her party and suggested that the Congress should introspect instead of blaming the Election Commission.

Natarajan, however, rejected claims that the Congress was responsible for any lapse leading to the rejection of her nomination.

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Heavy rain triggers flash floods and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir, damaging roads and property

Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir, damaging infrastructure, disrupting traffic and prompting authorities to issue a weather advisory.

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6 hours ago

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July 7, 2026

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Monsoon in Jammu and Kashmir

Heavy rainfall across several parts of Jammu and Kashmir triggered flash floods and landslides, causing widespread damage to roads, vehicles and residential property. The adverse weather also disrupted traffic in multiple areas, prompting authorities to advise people to remain vigilant.

Flash flood causes destruction in Doda

A flash flood struck the Thathri sub-division of Doda district after heavy overnight rainfall, leading to significant damage to homes, vehicles and other property.

Floodwaters surged through the Thathri market after water levels in local streams rose rapidly. Large quantities of mud, stones and debris entered residential areas, inundating houses and damaging parked vehicles as water flowed through roads and marketplaces.

Residents said the flooding occurred suddenly, leaving little time to respond. Officials have started assessing the damage, while restoration and relief work is underway.

Local residents alleged that debris from ongoing link road construction is frequently dumped into the Thathri stream. They claimed the accumulated material obstructs the natural flow of water, increasing the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall. Residents urged the administration to take corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Doda-Kishtwar highway affected by flash floods

Continuous rainfall also triggered flash floods that damaged the Doda-Kishtwar highway, disrupting vehicular movement on the route.

Officials said floodwaters deposited large amounts of mud, boulders and debris on the highway. A portion of the road was damaged, forcing authorities to suspend traffic until conditions improve.

In neighbouring Kishtwar district, heavy rain triggered a landslide and mudslide near the tunnel area of the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project, adding to the weather-related disruption in the region.

Administration issues weather advisory

The administration had earlier issued an advisory warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flash floods and landslides in vulnerable areas across Jammu and Kashmir.

Authorities advised residents, particularly those living near rivers, streams and nallahs, to remain alert and avoid unsafe locations during the ongoing spell of rain.

Samba receives highest rainfall

According to the Meteorological Department, Samba recorded the highest rainfall in the Jammu region during the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Monday, receiving 90 mm of rainfall.

Kathua received 66.2 mm, followed by Katra (44.4 mm), Doda (42 mm), Jammu (41.8 mm), Udhampur (40.6 mm), Bhaderwah (33.6 mm), Kishtwar (24 mm), Reasi (10.5 mm), Batote (4.7 mm), Ramban (4.5 mm) and Banihal (0.4 mm).

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Mumbai-Pune train services remain suspended for second day after landslides, Central Railway issues fresh cancellation list

Heavy rainfall-triggered landslides have disrupted Mumbai-Pune train services for a second consecutive day, with Central Railway cancelling several MEMU services and continuing restoration work.

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6 hours ago

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July 7, 2026

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Train services between Mumbai and Pune remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Tuesday after heavy monsoon rains triggered multiple landslides in the Bhor Ghat section of the Central Railway network, affecting one of Maharashtra’s busiest rail corridors.

Railway officials continued restoration work across the affected stretch, where mud, rocks and boulders have blocked tracks following persistent rainfall. Authorities said services will resume only after a detailed safety inspection confirms that the route is fit for operations.

Landslides disrupt railway operations in Bhor Ghat

The disruption was caused by multiple landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala section. A major landslide occurred between Thakurvadi and Monkey Hill Loop Cabin (MHLC) on the Up Main Line in the Mumbai division. Another incident was reported on the Middle Line between Khandala and Monkey Hill.

Continuous rainfall has destabilised slopes in the ghat region, resulting in debris falling onto multiple railway tracks and making train movement unsafe.

Teams from Central Railway have been working with heavy machinery to remove debris, inspect the tracks and restore services. However, ongoing rainfall has slowed restoration efforts, prompting authorities to continue the suspension of train operations in the interest of passenger safety.

Central Railway cancels six MEMU services

Central Railway has released a fresh list of cancelled MEMU services for July 7, 2026.

The cancelled trains are:

  • DRD-PNVL MEMU (Train No. 69164), departure 5:25 am
  • PNVL-DSR MEMU (Train No. 69165), departure 9:20 am
  • BSR-PNVL MEMU (Train No. 69168), departure 12:10 pm
  • PNVL-BSR MEMU (Train No. 69167), departure 2:35 pm
  • BSR-PNVL MEMU (Train No. 69166), departure 4:40 pm
  • PNVL-DRD MEMU (Train No. 69161), departure 7:05 pm

Passengers have been advised to check the latest train status through official railway platforms before travelling.

Railway Minister reviews restoration efforts

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the ongoing restoration work and directed officials from Central and Western Railway to coordinate efforts to restore services at the earliest without compromising passenger safety.

Railway authorities said operations would resume only after a comprehensive inspection confirms that the affected tracks are safe for regular train movement.

Heavy rain also impacts road traffic

The intense rainfall has also disrupted road transport between Mumbai and Pune. Landslides and waterlogging affected parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the old Mumbai-Pune Highway, causing temporary traffic disruptions before authorities cleared the affected sections.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several parts of Maharashtra, warning of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall. Officials cautioned that further showers could trigger additional landslides and delay the restoration of railway services.

Railway authorities said updates on cancellations, diversions and the resumption of train services will continue to be issued as restoration work progresses.

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