Election Commission launches portal for parties to file financial statements, contributions

Digital Desk: The Election Commission created an online platform on Monday for registered political parties to submit their financial records, including donation reports and poll spending accounts. This step was considered an effort to increase openness in the disclosures made by political groups.

The move is a part of the poll panel's "3C strategy," which includes clean-up, crackdown, and compliance to increase transparency and accountability in the political funding and expenditure on which it had been working for a year at this point under Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, according to sources.

Political parties that do not intend to submit their financial reports electronically must explain their decision in writing. They may, however, continue to submit their financial reports in hard copy format along with CDs or pen drives in the required formats.

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In response, "The Commission will, in turn, publish all such reports online, along with a letter of justification sent by the Party for not filing financial statements online," the EC stated in a statement.

The Commission explained the move in a letter to the political parties, stating that it was made with the dual goals of resolving issues by physically filing reports and guaranteeing timely filing in a consistent format.

The gateway will make it easier for political parties to submit their contribution reports, audited annual accounts, and election expense statements online.

According to the Representation of the People's Act of 1951 and transparency guidelines issued by the Commission periodically over the past several years, political parties are required to submit these financial statements to the Election Commission/Chief Electoral Officers of States/Union Territories.

"The level of compliance and transparency is anticipated to increase with the availability of data online. In the letter, the EC emphasised that political parties play a crucial role in elections and that it is their responsibility to uphold the principles of democratic functioning and transparency, particularly when it comes to financial declarations," according to the statement.