Unrecognised Parties Funding Row, Money Laundering Concerns & ECI Powers

An India Today investigation exposes registered unrecognised political parties across Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar that collect hundreds of crores of rupees in donations despite having no visible operational ground presence. The Rashtriya Vikas Party received 207.63 crore rupees over five years according to ADR analysis, yet its listed Delhi address operates as a dance school whose owner denies knowledge of the outfit. In Jabalpur and Delhi, residents at addresses listed for the Bharatiya Jan Kranti Dal Democratic were entirely unaware of the party. Similarly, Prabal Bharat Karti in Sitamarhi, Bihar, gathered 103.84 crore rupees in donations, but ground checks revealed no physical party office, raising serious questions over tracking and oversight of electoral funding.

In an interview ahead of the BRICS Summit in India, Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs shared his perspective on India-China relations, the global economic order, and multilateral diplomacy. Highlighting Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India, Sachs described the bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Beijing as the most critical in the world, stating that both nations can foster a stable multipolar framework. Sachs argued, "The bilateral relationship between India and China is the most important bilateral relationship in the world," suggesting both countries should resolve historical border disputes peacefully. He emphasized that the center of gravity of the global economy has returned to Asia and dismissed the effectiveness of Western unilateralism. Commenting on strategic alliances, Sachs advised against Indian participation in the Quad and cautioned against strategic over-reliance on the United States and Israel.

An India Today special investigation reveals that registered unrecognised political parties in Gujarat collected over two thousand crore rupees in donations between 2019 and 2024, based on data analyzed by the Association for Democratic Reforms. Ground checks across Gujarat, Delhi, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh showed that several of these parties exist primarily on paper. The Bharatiya National Janata Dal received 957.44 crore rupees, while The New India United Party secured over 600 crore rupees, though its registered Ahmedabad office was locked without any signboard. The Satyavadi Rakshak Party, which collected over 330 crore rupees in 2023-24, fielded just one candidate in Vadodara who finished last, operating from a locked flat in Anand. Similarly, the Aam Janmat Party collected over 220 crore rupees while its registered office remained shut, and Saurashtra Janata Paksha received over 200 crore rupees. ADR noted that 90 percent of donations come from individuals and large donors despite poor electoral participation and minimal vote shares.

At the India Today Global Aaj Tak BRICS Roundtable, former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi analyzed geopolitical security, defense diplomacy, and economic resilience surrounding the 18th BRICS Summit. Discussing Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India and bilateral relations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria noted that high-level talks directly impact bilateral ties and regional stability. Admiral Tripathi described BRICS as a pragmatic multilateral platform rather than a military alliance, emphasizing that the path to peace requires strategic power. Both military leaders evaluated maritime security, counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, supply chain localization under the Atmanirbharta initiative, and defense exports. The panel also addressed non-traditional security threats, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and energy security risks along global trade choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz, while affirming the enduring strategic foundation of India-Russia bilateral defense relations.