Political parties including the Congress, Telugu Desam, CPI and CPM received huge donations from Andhra Pradesh-based infrastructure, irrigation and energy companies and industrialists in the last few years. A report to this effect released by the Association of Democratic Rights (ADR) and National Election Watch after analysing the income-tax returns and donations received by the political parties revealed that India’s political parties got Rs 4,662 crore in donations in the past seven years, with the Congress (Rs 2,008 crore) and BJP (Rs 994 crore) topping the list.
According to the ADR report, the TD received Rs 53.9 crore since 2005 as donations and TRS Rs 10.37 crore. Southern Engineering Works (SEW), which was in the thick of the Polavaram controversy, has given Rs 2 crore to the Congress and Rs 35 lakh for CPM. SEW had bagged several irrigation projects in the state including the Veligallu dam in Kadapa. SEW also donated Rs 1.25 crore to Telugu Desam in 2009-10. Out of all the regional parties in the country, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti has 99.98 per cent of its income coming from donations followed by JD(U).
Leaders of the Congress and the BJP said there was “nothing illegal or unethical” in taking funds from their workers and other sources. The Congress’ earnings were mostly through selling of coupons since 2004, while 14.42 per cent were donations from corporate groups and trusts controlled by top firms. The BJP got 81.47 per cent donations from corporate groups and trusts. Among others, the CPM got Rs 417 crore, BSP Rs 484 crore, SP Rs 278 crore, NCP Rs 160 crore, AIADMK Rs 59 crore, DMK Rs 40 crore, TMC Rs 9 crore, and Shiv Sena Rs 32 crore.