Congress begins ‘Donate for Desh’ crowdfunding on December 18

New Delhi: In a bid to fill its depleted coffers and seek financial aid from its supporters, the Indian National Congress on Saturday stated that it is going to start its crowdfunding initiative ‘Donate for Desh’.

The initiative is both online and offline and will be launched by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on December 18.

The inaugural campaign of the Congress party which completes its 138-year journey is to seek donations for a ‘Behtar Bharat’. The number ‘138’ is auspicious and the supporters have been asked to donate in multiples of Rs 138, Rs 1380, Rs 13,800 and so on. This is to symbolise the enduring commitment of the party to a better India.

Tilak Swaraj Fund

The concept was derived from the Tilak Swaraj Fund of 1920-21 when the Non-Cooperation Movement was devised.

On March 31, 1921, the All-India Congress Committee met at Bezwada (Vijayawada) and devised a program to raise Rs 1 crore by the end of June 1921. Residents of Bombay raised Rs 60 lakhs and the rest of the country raised Rs 40 lakhs. The call given by the Congress at that time surpassed the target of Rs 1 crore.

Kerala model of collection

Kerala has a unit model for the collection of funds for party functioning. Congress party members during their brainstorming sessions considered opting for that method to collect funds for party functioning.

Why an open funding method?

According to sources, an open funding method is to assess the number and type of supporters and also create transparency in donations. With the constant raids, an open source of funding was seen as a clear attempt to reach out and identify the supporters. Two channels are created for crowdfunding:

- A dedicated online portal specifically for donations.

- The official Indian National Congress website.

The state-level office bearers, elected representatives, presidents of different units and AICC office bearers have been asked to contribute at least Rs 1,380 each.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, “For the campaign’s effectiveness, all party presidents should identify potential donors among party well-wishers and functionaries, aiming for contributions of Rs 1,380 or Rs 13,800. This strategic approach will ensure the success of our vision for a better India.”