'Support Transparency:' Election Commission To Follow Supreme Court's Order On Electoral Bonds Issue

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday here said the poll panel will act in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Court regarding the electoral bonds scheme.

New Delhi: The Election Commission will comply with the Supreme Court’s directives on the electoral bonds scheme, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday. Kumar told reporters that the commission always strives for transparency in information and participation. “The commission stated in its affidavit to the apex court that it supports transparency and it will act as per the SC’s orders when they are issued,” Kumar said.

When asked about a case pending in the SC on holding elections without EVMs, the chief election commissioner said, “We will wait for the decision…if needed, we will make changes according to the court’s direction.” The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a historic verdict, scrapping the electoral bonds scheme, saying it infringes on the right to information and the freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution.

#WATCH | On the Supreme Court's verdict on the electoral bonds, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says, " Whatever is the order (of Supreme Court). We were also a party in this case...our stand in the Supreme Court was that we are in favour of transparency...we will take… pic.twitter.com/NHqvokRTrX — ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024

It gave a unanimous verdict on a series of petitions challenging the legal validity of the central government’s electoral bonds scheme, which enabled anonymous funding to political parties. The SC ordered banks to halt further issuance of electoral bonds and the State Bank of India (SBI) to provide details of electoral bonds bought since April 12, 2019, to the Election Commission.