Keventer group among top donors to BJP

A few weeks ago, many were not even aware of Keventers that sells milkshakes and ice creams, until publication of electoral bond data, which shows four firms tied to the group donated over Rs 600 crore.

The group is among the top 10 donours under the contentious election funding scheme. The Election Commission on Thursday published final data of the electoral bonds including more details of donours and alphanumeric data tied to the bonds. Kolkata-based Keventer Group, which has business interest in dairy and real estate, has donated Rs 616.92 crore via firms linked to it namely Keventer Food Park Infra, MKJ Enterprises, Sasmal Infrastructure and Madanlal Limited. Ruling BJP is major beneficiary with Rs 382 crore from the group, making 57% of its donations to the party.

Keventers group has donated Rs 120 crore to Congress. The EC data shows donations for Samajwadi Party, BRS, Biju Janata Dal Rs 10 crore each and Rs 7 crore for Aam Aadmi Party. It has also donated to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Shiromani Akali Dal. It has donated Rs 66 crore to All Indian Trinamool Congress, making it the third biggest contributor to the party.

The company has started donating to the BJP via electoral bonds after one of its firms -- Keventer Agro -- came under lense of the Enforcement Directorate alleging disinvestment scam in 2019. The case pertains to West Bengal government’s disinvest of 47% stake in Metro Dairy to Keventer Agro -- the sole bidder in the process. As per reports, ED raided the group after buying anonymous poll bonds.

The state government reportedly sold the stakes to Keventer Agro for Rs 85 crore but the group sold 15% of its shares for Rs 170 crore to a Singapore-based private equity firm Mandala Capital.