Aurobindo Reality to Hetero: These Hyderabad companies donated big to BJP in 2020-21

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a whopping Rs 477.54 Crore as political funding for the financial year 2020-21. Not striking any surprise, the saffron party received the hundreds of crores as an individual contribution (i.e above Rs 20,000) for the eight consecutive year. This is minus the donations received via electoral trust and bonds.

Surpassing all the deadlines set by the Election Commission for registered national parties to submit their contribution report, the BJP's funding dossier was uploaded on the ECI website on May 31, 2022. It is pertinent to note that BJP's funding from Telangana has significantly grown over the years with many Infra and pharma companies donating in 7-8 digits.

In 2020-21, Aurobindo Reality & Infrastructure Private limited gave Rs 5 crore to the BJP, the highest from Hyderabad. The company is represented by Sampath Kumar Reddy Aerva, Rohit Reddy Penka, and Suneela Rani Penaka. Rohit Reddy Penaka is the director of 17 companies. In total, the company is connected to 24 other companies through its directors.

Interestingly, the list mentions another 'Aurobindo'- that donated Rs 3 crore sans its office address or company details. IF it is the same group (benefit of the doubt given the name), Aurobindo has donated Rs 8 crore to the BJP. Next on the list from Hyderabad is Visaka Industries which has donated Rs 3 crore. Natco pharma gave Rs 1.5 Crore, and Banjara hills-based MBG Commodities donated Rs 1.5 crore.

Dr. Reddy's labs donated Rs 1 crore. TRS Rajya Sabha nominee and pharma mughal Bandi Parathasarathi Reddy's Hetero group noted Rs 1 crore to the BJP. Aparna, which deals with construction and real estate, donated- Rs 50 lakh.

A new entrant in the contribution list is Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development and Secunderabad BJP MP G Kishan Reddy. He donated Rs 26 lakhs. S V Productions donated Rs 10L, Partha Dental Clinic, Rs 10.04L, Dr. Southern constructions, Rs 10L, and Shiv Kumar Addgulla Rs 10 L

Approximately, the BJP received close to 18 crore in 2020-21 alone, as an individual contribution from Telangana. However, BJP's funding through electoral trust and bonds which conceal the donors is significantly high.

In 2019-20, Megha Engineering and ILABS have donated Rs 5 crores each, the highest contribution from Hyderabad. The two companies were closely followed by the NACTO Pharma group which donated Rs 80 lakh. MSN group has donated Rs 40 lakh and Hetero drugs Rs 25 lakh. Other individuals limited their contribution to a few lakhs. Looking at the charts, the funding from Telangana grew from approximately 12 crores to Rs 18 crore in a year's time.

How Hyderabad-based Infra and pharma companies donated Rs 24.5 Crore through Electoral Trust in which BJP was the biggest taker.

In the same financial year 2020-21, one of India's richest electoral trusts, Prudent (formerly Satya Electoral) based in New Delhi, received a whopping Rs. 245.72 crore political funding from corporate in the financial year 2020-21. And to no one's surprise, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party received Rs. 209 crore out of it.

While India was struggling with the first wave of COVID-19, a total of 31 corporate influencers donated to political parties. Among them three are from Hyderabad – Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (donated Rs. 22 crore), new entrant KMV Projects- Construction company (donated Rs. 1.5 crore), and GMR Airport Developers Limited (Rs. 1 crore)- the group operates the Hyderabad and Delhi International Airports.

It is pertinent to note that Prudent has been one of BJP's biggest funders ever since it came to power in 2013-14. Compared to 21 other trusts, Prudent receives over 90% of corporate-to-political parties' donations.

Indore-based Future Gaming and Hotel services (Rs. 100 crore), Bharati Group (Rs. 25 crore), Phillips Carbon Black (Rs. 20 crore), and Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure (Rs. 22 crore) are among the top influential donors.

To recall, the concept of electoral trust was introduced by the UPA government and what followed next was electoral bonds in the NDA. Professor Jagdeep Chhokar, the founding member of the Associate of Democratic Reforms, expressed concern over political funding. "Corporate influencers donate to get back investments. They become part of a political party's favorable decisions and treatment. It is the corporate entity that decides whom to donate via trusts, bonds," he said.

He said in foreign countries, companies donate to parties with the same ideology. "However, the trend in India is different. It is a quid pro quo. Political parties are 100% exempted from income tax under section 13 (a). The funding received through trusts, bonds, individual contributions, and other investments goes untaxed. Over the years, it has been observed that establishments are donating during non-election years. The BJP has turned out to be the biggest gainer," he added.

Meanwhile, the funding for Indian National Congress (INC) has plunged significantly over the years. Between 2016-21, BJP received Rs. 860 crore from Prudent, while the Congress received Rs. 96 crore.