The Supreme Court on Wednesday suggested that Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan file a separate petition highlighting his argument that the electoral bonds scheme discriminates against political parties with a small vote share.
Refusing to entertain an intervention by the MP, also president of the VCK, the Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said the issue raised by Mr. Thirumavalavan should not be mixed with the current challenge against the legality of the scheme that anonymises political donations.
Advocates P.B. Suresh and S. Prasanna said the scheme and the amendments to various laws facilitating political donations had “erected barriers for entry against smaller political parties and strengthened the position of incumbents everywhere”.
Mr. Suresh submitted that the scheme had destroyed the level-playing field and undermined the “freeness and fairness of the election process”. It was argued that the scheme had deprived parties of crucial information needed to criticise other political parties — who bankrolls them and to whom they are loyal.
