Poll panel seeks transparency in political funding

The election commission has proposed that political parties be disallowed to accept more than 20% of total donations in cash and they declare names of donors for amounts above '2,000. The EC proposals to the law ministry comes days before the Supreme Court is expected to hear a bunch of petitions that have challenged the opaque nature of electoral bonds introduced a few years ago.

EC also suggested that parties declare if they have received foreign funds. The Representation of the People Act, 1951, (RPA) and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, do not allow foreign funding of political parties, but there is no mechanism for EC to assess it. EC has sought an amendment to Form 24A, the contribution report form to be submitted by political parties under Rule 85B of Conduct of Election Rules 1961. It has proposed that Form 24A be amended to include a specific column asking political to declare whether they have received foreign funding. It sought suggestions from the income-tax department and the home ministry on the issue.

EC's suggestions follow incomplete information furnished by political parties in contribution reports submitted to it annually.