NEW DELHI, Senior Congress figure, P. Chidambaram, has raised concerns about the Modi government’s approach to the electoral bond matter. He remarked that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is indicating a preference for raising its campaign funds from major corporations in a manner lacking transparency.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Chidambaram expressed these views on a platform named X. He advocated for an open method of gathering funds, emphasizing the need for transparent crowdfunding derived from smaller donors via traceable digital transactions. Chidambaram stated, “On the eve of the hearing of the Electoral Bonds case, the BJP has clarified its intentions. The BJP plans to gather its resources from large corporates in a non-transparent, concealed, and surreptitious manner.”

He further posited the question of which funding method would prevail: “Let’s observe who emerges victorious: the large corporations or the ordinary citizen who takes pride in donating to a political faction?” said the ex-central minister of India.

These comments followed the Supreme Court’s announcement about the formation of a five-judge Constitution bench that will hear several petitions against the electoral bonds scheme. The Supreme Court’s website displayed the causelist, revealing that a bench overseen by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, including Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai, J.B. Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, would discuss the matter on October 31.

Previously, on October 16, the apex court had decided to delegate the petitions to a five-judge Constitution bench due to the significance of the issues raised, in alignment with Article 145(4) of the Constitution. The collective petitions challenge the electoral bond scheme, which was initiated by the Centre via amendments to the Finance Act of 2017. Critics allege this scheme allows unchecked financial support for political entities.