India TV Opinion Poll: The Supreme Court declared the electoral bonds scheme for political funding "unconstitutional", citing violations of the right to freedom of speech and expression, along with the right to information. The court also directed the State Bank of India (SBI) and other banks to immediately stop issuing them. The discontinuation of this scheme could carry substantial implications for political parties. It will now be necessary to disclose to the public the identities of donors and the amounts contributed. Previously, there was no transparency regarding which party received how much in donations. It was unclear whether any political favours were being exchanged for contributions to a political party or its government. With the court's ruling, details of donations made to political parties in the future may be made public.
What was the question?
The cancellation of the electoral bond scheme will have a significant impact on political parties. To gauge public opinion on this matter, we asked on various platforms of India TV, 'Is the SC's decision to strike down the electoral bonds scheme before the Lok Sabha polls a big blow to all the parties?' For this, we had given three options to the public - 'Yes', 'No' and 'Can't say'.
How was the result of the poll in statistics?
A total of 14,380 people shared their opinion in the poll. In the India TV poll, 72 per cent of people agreed that the cancellation of the electoral bond scheme will be a setback for political parties. Meanwhile, 24 per cent of people said that it will not have an impact. Additionally, four per cent of respondents were undecided about whether this would be a setback for political parties or not.
What is electoral bonds scheme?
The electoral bond scheme, which was notified by the government on January 2, 2018, was pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring in transparency in political funding.
According to the provisions of the scheme, electoral bonds may be purchased by any citizen of India or entity incorporated or established in the country.
An individual can buy electoral bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
Also Read: Supreme Court strikes down electoral bonds scheme: Know the chronology of events
