Biggest Electoral Bonds Purchaser Gave ₹509 Crore To MK Stalin’s DMK

New Delhi: Santiago Martin’s Future Gaming and Hotel Services, dubbed the “Lottery king,” emerged as the top purchaser of electoral bonds, donating a staggering ₹509 crore to Tamil Nadu’s ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The DMK, which received bonds worth ₹656.5 crore under the now-defunct electoral bonds, disclosed major donors including Future Gaming, Megha Engineering (₹105 crore), India Cements (₹14 crore), and Sun TV (₹100 crore).

Fresh data on electoral bonds was released by the Election Commission today, shedding light on contributions made before April 12, 2019. Political parties, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive, submitted details of electoral bonds in sealed covers. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest overall recipient, accumulating ₹6,986.5 crore, followed by the Trinamool Congress (₹1,397 crore) and the Congress (₹1,334 crore).

Santiago Martin’s Future Gaming and Hotel Services purchased electoral bonds worth ₹1,368 crore between 2019 and 2024, surpassing other donors by 40%. Martin’s journey from selling lottery tickets as a teenager to building a lottery-to-real estate empire is remarkable. Despite facing scrutiny and property seizures by investigative agencies, Martin maintains his innocence, with his conglomerate asserting compliance with the law and highlighting his significant contribution as India’s highest taxpayer in the financial year ending March 2003.