Just six hours after requesting funds for her assembly election campaign, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Atishi raised over Rs 15 lakh through her online portal on Sunday.
Atishi, who is contesting from the Kalkaji Assembly constituency, has set a target of raising Rs 40 lakh for her campaign. As of 5:30 PM on January 10, the party’s donation page showed that 278 people had contributed a total of Rs 15,15,930.
Earlier, Atishi turned to crowdfunding, stating that people were donating to support the party’s “honest politics” and that AAP does not accept money from businessmen. “People donated money to support Aam Aadmi Party’s honest politics. We don’t take money from big businessmen for elections. AAP government works for the common people. For my election from Kalkaji, I am launching a crowdfunding campaign for Rs 40 lakh, which I need for the election. People can donate any amount they want,” Atishi said.
Atishi emphasized that AAP has always relied on public donations to fund its election campaigns, refusing to accept money from big businessmen. She also recalled how AAP won previous elections with “small donations” from the people.
Announcing the campaign on her social media account, Atishi highlighted how, as a young, educated woman, she had been able to pursue a career in politics with the support of the people. “As a young, educated woman, your belief and donations have enabled me to imagine a career in politics–a path I couldn’t have walked alone. Now, as we face another election campaign, I need your support once again. Please contribute to my crowdfunding campaign,” she posted.
Party leader Reena Gupta pointed out that Atishi, who presented a budget of Rs 70,000 crore, might be the first sitting CM in India’s history to seek crowdfunding for her election campaign. “Since its formation, AAP has collected funds from the public to contest elections,” Gupta told ANI.
Meanwhile, the BJP sharply criticized the AAP-led government, accusing it of widespread corruption, inefficiency in implementing welfare schemes, and failure to address the growing pollution levels in the city.
The Delhi assembly elections will be held in a single phase on February 5, with the vote counting scheduled for February 8. The Congress, which had been in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has struggled in the past two elections, failing to win any seats. In contrast, AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections, winning 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP secured only eight.
