Keywords
Electoral Bond Scheme
Election
Political Parties
Supreme Court
How to Cite
Abstract
This article analyses the issue of Electoral Bond Scheme (EBS) which have been introduced with a series of amendments to the existing related laws and regulations, which was challenged in the Supreme Court. The scheme has been a major area of discussion at various formal and informal forums among politicians, academicians, civil society and legal experts regarding it’s benefit and defects in the electoral politics. The regulatory character of the state and trade regimes provides ample scope to the politicians and political parties for unethical negotiation; creating a nexus between them and business sectors which is detrimental for electoral democracy. In this backdrop, the paper discusses the different major issues relating ‘Electoral Bond Scheme’ and the Supreme Courts observations and the effects of such a scheme of ‘quid pro quo’ to the democratic electoral system and the need for a proper transparent and accountable system of party funding which protects the electoral right of the citizens and strengthens the electoral democracy in India. Finally, the author tries to estimate the historic verdict delivered in February, 2024.
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