In a significant development, the State Bank of India (SBI) informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that a total of 22,217 electoral bonds were purchased, out of which 22,030 were redeemed by various political parties.

The Chairman of SBI submitted an affidavit to the apex court, stating that the bank had complied with its order by providing details such as the date of purchase, purchaser’s name, and bond denomination to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Moreover, the state-run bank also furnished information regarding the encashment of the electoral bonds, including the names of political parties receiving contributions and the denomination of the bonds.

The data covers the period between April 12, 2019, and February 15, 2024. SBI met the deadline set by the Supreme Court, submitting all electoral bond data to the ECI by 5:30 pm on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the ECI confirmed the receipt of the data and stated that it would be made available to the public on March 15, 2024, via the ECI’s website. This move marks a significant step towards transparency in electoral funding, as the bond filings, previously submitted to the Supreme Court in sealed covers, will now be publicly accessible through the poll body.