The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday claimed to have achieved the target of raising ₹1 crore with the support of around 400 traders in and around Delhi who took part in a fundraiser dinner.
In a event attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Ministers Kapil Mishra, Imran Hussain and MLAs Sukhbir Singh Dalal and Som Dutt, the party’s trade wing convener Brijesh Goyal declared that the support from traders has helped the party achieve the target. The funds will be utilised for elections in Punjab and Goa.
Earlier, the AAP had promised to keep its funding process transparent and declare all information related to donations on its official website, however, it also decided to conceal the identity of some of its donors to avoid being “victimised” by opponents.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Sisodia hit out at “corporate-funded political parties” and remarked that it is “never a sustainable model” to rely on such funds for election campaigns.
‘No leverage’
“Those parties who receive funds from corporate giants will be forced to change public policies because of vested interests. To avoid such intervention we are relying on a sustainable model through which we receive funds from public,” the Deputy CM said.
Mr. Sisodia said that for his first election, he had raised ₹4 lakh for the election in a similar manner. He said his rival had spent ₹4 crore to woo voters.
“Whenever we needed money we have stood before the common man asking for it and we have received it. This is the sustainable model,” Mr. Sisodia said.
The AAP Minister also vowed to take up issues of the traders. “We will be receiving points of agenda from the traders and will set a countdown to fulfil their requests,” Mr. Sisodia said. — PTI
