New Delhi, Jan 12: Chief Minister and AAP’s Kalkaji candidate Atishi on Sunday launched a crowdfunding campaign to contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls and said she hoped that people would support her party’s politics of work and honesty.
Addressing a press conference here, Atishi released an online link for people to donate money, saying she needed Rs 40 lakh to fight the elections.
The AAP has always fought the elections with the help of small donations from the common man which has helped it pursue the politics of work and honesty, she said.
“Despite being in power in Delhi for 10 years, the AAP does not have even a rupee of corruption. We will contest the polls with the support of the people of Delhi and the country, as has been done in the previous elections,” she said when asked about the BJP’s claim that the CAG has projected a loss of Rs 2,026 crore due to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy.
Targeting the BJP, Atishi said, “Perhaps they have collected enough money from their friends and through government contracts and they do not need to collect funds for contesting elections.” It’s easy for a chief minister to raise money through “dishonest means”, but the AAP refuse to do so, she asserted.
“Had we taken money from contractors, flyovers would have cracked in months, and without integrity, we couldn’t have improved government schools, hospitals or provided free healthcare to Delhiites,” she said.
Atishi, who is seeking re-election from the Kalkaji Assembly seat, is pitted against former MP and BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri.
Earlier in December, senior AAP leader and party candidate from Jangpura Manish Sisodia launched a crowdfunding platform and sought financial support from people for his poll campaign.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been contesting the polls since 2013, is now participating in its ninth election. “The narrative being pushed now by the AAP leaders about raising election funds through crowdfunding has left the people of Delhi surprised,” he said. The BJP will soon request the Election Commission to verify the sources of funds for the candidates claiming to raise money through crowdfunding and present these details before people prior to voting, he said.
Congress promises Rs 8,500 to educated unemployed youths
The Congress on Sunday promised to give Rs 8,500 every month to educated unemployed youths in Delhi for one year if it comes to power in Delhi.
This is the third scheme launched by the Congress ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls.
The financial assistance will be provided under the ‘Yuva Udaan Yojana’ and it is not free, AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot said at a press conference.
“We will provide financial assistance to youths who can show their skills in a company, factory or organisation. They will get money through these companies. This is not a scheme under which one will get money while sitting at home,” Pilot said.
“This help will not be just financial. We will try that people are absorbed in those fields where they have received training… so that they can… improve their skill set,” he said.
During the press conference, AICC Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav and NSUI, Congress’ student wing, president Varun Chaudhary were also present. “We will encourage them to work in the companies or factories and we will help you. So we will try to give via companies. This is not a scheme to give allowance to people sitting at home. (PTI)
