Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) and Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital were the top electoral bond donors of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which was the ruling party in Telangana from 2014-2023. The BRS is fourth in the list of parties that received the highest donations – after BJP, TMC, and Congress.
While MEIL donated Rs 195 crore to the BRS, Hyderabad-based Yashoda Hospital – which denied making donations to any party – gave Rs 94 crore to the BRS.
This was revealed after the State Bank of India (SBI) submitted the remaining electoral bond details – including the alphanumeric numbers or the bond numbers – on Thursday, 21 March, as per the Supreme Court's order.
Let's take a closer look at the party's top donors.
MEIL
Infra firm MEIL donated to the BRS for the first time in 2021, when the party was in power in Telangana. In October 2021, it made Rs 100 crore worth of donations to the BRS.
It should be noted that MEIL was awarded the contract for the construction of the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project, a flagship scheme of the then BRS government, in 2019. The Opposition in Telangana had accused MEIL of "being close to the BRS," with many alleging large-scale corruption in the Kaleshwaram Project.
In July 2023, months before the Telangana Assembly elections in November 2023, the party donated Rs 50 crore to the BRS.
However, closer to the polls, in October 2023, it made massive donations to the BJP amounting to Rs 150 crore. MEIL is also the single biggest donor of the BJP.
Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital
When the electoral bonds data was first out, this prominent hospital chain based in Hyderabad had denied donating money to any party. The hospital, in a written statement, claimed that the list probably referred to Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital in Ghaziabad.
However, the Ghaziabad chain of Yashoda Hospital, too, denied making donations to any party. In a post on X, the hospital said:
The owners of the Hyderabad chain, G Ravender Rao and G Surender Rao, had donated Rs 1 crore each to the BRS in their personal capacity – as is clear from the latest data.
Yashoda Hospitals donated a total of Rs 162 crore worth of electoral bonds. As per the fresh data, Rs 94 crore went to the BRS, Rs 64 crore to the Congress, Rs 2 crore to the BJP, and Rs 1 crore to the YSR Congress Party.
The most amount of donations to the BRS was made in October 2023, before the Assembly polls.
The hospital chain in Hyderabad was also subjected to Income Tax raids in December 2020.
Chennai Green Woods
Chennai Green Woods Private Limited donated Rs 50 crore to the BRS. In total, the company donated Rs 105 crore – of which the remaining went to Trinamool Congress (Rs 40 crore) and Congress (Rs 15 crore).
The Income Tax Department officials raided 15 properties of construction firm Chennai Green Woods Private Limited in July 2021.
The company is reportedly owned by the Ramky Group, whose chairman is YSRCP leader Rami Reddy, Newslaundry-The News Minute reported. The group has various projects in Telangana.
Rami Reddy is reportedly known to be close to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. In fact, Ramky Group was also one of the companies that came under scrutiny during the probe into the disproportionate assets case against Jagan. Chennai Green Woods, however, has not donated any bonds to the YSRCP.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories
Of its total donation of Rs 84 crore, Dr Reddy's Laboratories had donated Rs 32 crore to the BRS. The remaining went to the BJP (Rs 25 crore), Congress (Rs 14 crore), and the TDP (Rs 13 crore).
In early November 2023, IT officials conducted raids at the premises of Dr K Nagender Reddy of Dr Reddy's Laboratories over allegations of tax evasion. This was part of a larger operation involving searches at the premises of then-Telangana Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy of the BRS.
Hetero Drugs
Hetero is another major Hyderabad-based pharma company which donated Rs 50 crore to the BRS.
Of the total of Rs 60 crore donated between 7 April 2022 and 12 October 2023, Rs 10 crore went to the BJP.
In June 2022, shortly after the company donated electoral bonds, the firm's founder B Partha Saradhi Reddy was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by then Telangana Chief Minister and BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao.
The company, in October 2021, had also faced I-T raids at its offices across the country.
My Home
Hyderabad-based infra company My Home donated Rs 15 crore to the BRS. Its subsidiary, Tellapur Techno, also donated Rs 20 crore to the party.
In total, My Home (and Tellapur Techno) made donations of Rs 49 crore.
In July 2019, the Income Tax Department raided the residence and offices of My Home Group of Companies chairman Rameshwar Rao Jupally over allegations of tax evasion.
Rameshwar Rao is learnt to have been close to BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. But reports say they now have strained ties, with the businessman maintaining cordial relations with the BJP.
Kitex Group
Kerala-based Kitex Group, owned by Sabu M Jacob, donated Rs 25 crore to the BRS. The BRS is the only party that Kitex has donated to.
In July 2021, Jacob had alleged harassment from the CPI(M)-led Kerala government after it carried out a series of raids and inspections at the firm's units.
Shortly after, the BRS-led Telangana government welcomed the company to set up shop in the state. Jacob had met then IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao, who had hosted a dinner for the Kitex team.
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