The ADR, a non-governmental organization, has analyzed income-tax returns and statements of six national and 51 regional recognized parties filed with the Election Commission between 2004-05 and 2014-15. The analysis report states that in this 11-year period, 71 per cent of political donations to political parties were received from unknown sources and cannot be traced.
Over the last 10 years, 83 per cent of Congress’s income, amounting to Rs 3,323.39 crore, and 65 per cent of BJP’s income, amounting to Rs 2,125.91 crore, came from unknown sources.94 per cent for Samajwadi Party and 86 per cent for Shiromani Akali Dal.
As per the current law, donations above Rs 20,000 are the only “known sources” of income. “Unknown sources” are income declared in the I-T returns by political parties without giving any source of income, for donations below Rs 20,000.
The act of cash donations leads to turning black money to white.The growth in income from unknown sources increased 313 per cent in 11 years.
Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party was the only one to consistently declare receiving “nil” donations above Rs 20,000.