Delhi Polls: CM Atishi launches crowdfunding campaign; BJP to ask EC for fund verification

PTI, Jan 12, 2025, 8:23 PM IST

Atishi Marlena (Source: ANI / File)

New Delhi: 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.

“The public is questioning whether the idea of crowdfunding is linked to the liquor scam, left over funds from the Goa elections or money being extorted in Punjab,” he charged.

The 70-member Delhi Assembly goes to polls on February 5 and the results will be announced on February 8.