The arena of Indian politics is full of vibrant experiences. One such experience emerged in the form of the Congress Party’s recent “Donate for Desh” campaign. In the peculiar episode of the crowdfunding gaffe, the Congress Party has entered into a paradox of “groundbreaking success”. The initiative was started to raise funds for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. After one week of the “grand campaign” by the grand old party, the treasury of Congress got a modest Rs 5.45 crores from an “unexpectedly” large group of over two lakh donors. It is unusual for Congress to work so hard to get so little money from donations. Though not intended to be comical, the scenario presented an intriguing narrative of contrasts and expectations in the world of political finance.
We must acknowledge that “large” donations came from Congress leaders themselves. For example, Congress’s ‘Shehzada’ Rahul Gandhi donated Rs 1.38 lakh for the campaign. Similarly, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sachin Pilot, Congress Chairperson Social Media & Digital Platforms Supriya Shrinate, Arvinder Loverly, Jairam Ramesh, and others donated a similar amount. Now, as we applaud them for donating such large amounts while forgetting that Kharge categorically said “Ek mahine ki salary gai” on the campaign launch, it brings us to a more complex story.
It is evident that Congress leaders made notable donations. The collected sum in the campaign clocked at Rs 5.45 crore on 25th December from over two lakh donors. If we calculate the average, it comes to be approximately Rs 272 per donor. Keeping in mind the amount donated by leaders and other large donors, it can be assumed that the donors could not even spend Rs 250 per head for their favourite political party.
The two lakh individuals that the party is boasting to be under by political ideology collectively contributed less than the cost of a mid-range meal in most Indian cities. Remember, it is not just a fundraising drive. It reflects the current state of the grand old political party that ruled the country for decades.
It is also notable to mention that the Congress party had been lousy with the ‘Donate for Desh’ campaign right from the start. The party launched the campaign for crowdsourcing without booking a domain name for the same, laying themselves open to ridicule, especially after BJP and OpIndia booked domain names for ‘Donate for Desh’ and directed users to their respective donation pages.
The curious fundraising episode of the Congress party is not just about the money. It showcased the challenges the Congress party faces ahead of the Lok Sabha election. It is a narrative less about the quantum of funds raised and more about what people expect from the party, even if it projects to be the biggest challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term as the country’s leader. As we progress towards the elections, the minuscule collection will give nightmares to the Congress Party when it sits with the other stakeholders in the I.N.D.I Alliance for seat distribution. We can just hope this time, there will be samosas in all-party meetings of the Alliance. Till then, visit donatefordesh.com to donate to the right people!