The Supreme Court has upheld its decision to scrap the Modi government’s electoral bonds scheme, dismissing review petitions that sought to overturn the verdict. The bench, including Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, stated that there was no apparent error in the previous ruling. The petitions, which argued that the matter should be left to legislative and executive policy, were rejected.
The 2018 electoral bond scheme, deemed unconstitutional by the court, was seen as violating freedom of speech and expression. The ruling parties’ ability to coerce contributions under the scheme was condemned, with the court rejecting the argument that it maintained contributor confidentiality similar to a secret ballot system. The scheme, introduced as an alternative to cash donations for political transparency, faced heavy scrutiny during the Lok Sabha elections.
The State Bank of India reported the purchase and redemption of electoral bonds by political parties, fulfilling the court’s directive to share details with the Election Commission. Despite petitioners’ arguments for broader representation and public opinion in the decision-making process, the court maintained its position on the scheme.
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