Chennai: In response to rival AIADMK’s offensive on the electoral bonds issue, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK has stated that it has transparently disclosed the names of donors and that the MK Stalin government made no concessions in exchange for the donation.
The Election Commission of India reported that Future Gaming and Hotel Services, the top donor through electoral bonds, contributed ₹ 509 crore to the DMK. The Enforcement Directorate has been keeping an eye on Future Gaming’s owner, Santiago Martin, also known as the “lottery king”.
Soon after the data was made public, DMK’s arch rival AIADMK launched a scathing attack. Edappadi K Palaniswami, leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and AIADMK general secretary, cited the DMK government’s ban on online gaming.
Denying the allegations, DMK MP TR Baalu stated that the MK Stalin government enacted the law against online gaming after a long struggle, and no concessions were made to the gaming company. “The Governor delayed assent to the law, so the government had it re-enacted. “The Governor met with the owners of online gaming companies,” he explained.
In 2021, the then-AIADMK government enacted legislation prohibiting online gambling. This legislation was later overturned by the Madras High Court. Following the DMK government’s takeover in 2022, the MK Stalin government established a committee led by a retired high court judge to investigate online gaming. Based on the panel’s recommendation, a new Bill was tabled, and It passed the House. After some delay, the Governor gave his approval. The law was challenged in the Madras High Court. The court refused to overturn it, but stated that the law does not apply to skill-based games like rummy.
In his counterattack, Mr. Baalu slammed Mr. Palaniswami for his silence on what he called the “BJP’s extortion”. “Fourteen of the 30 companies intimidated by the Enforcement Directorate made large donations to the BJP. Does EPS have the courage to condemn it? The AIADMK and the BJP split last year, but the DMK has called the split a “drama”.
The revelation of electoral bonds following the landmark Supreme Court decision has sparked a massive political backlash, with rivals targeting each other as more information becomes available.
According to data, the BJP received the most donations (₹6,986.50 crore) through the now-scrapped method among all parties. The Trinamool Congress (Rs 1,397 crore) and the Congress (Rs 1,334 crore) are distant second and third. The poll body has also released information from political parties regarding donations received through bonds. Ten recognised parties, including the DMK, have also identified the donors and the amounts they contributed.
In Tamil Nadu, the revelations have sparked political strikes and counter-strikes. MK Stalin, the DMK chief, has claimed that electoral bonds facilitated the BJP’s “white collar corruption”. According to Congress leader P Chidambaram, “ill-gotten money did not go to the ED and government coffers as claimed, but to the BJP by extortion”.
BJP leaders in the state have fired back. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated at a media house event, “Despite donations, we went behind them, do you get the point?” State BJP chief K Annamalai stated, “The BJP is in power in 18 states. Going by pro rata, this is less than what the DMK, which only rules Tamil Nadu, has received.