AAP joins corporate fund bandwagon

At Rs 20,000, Arvind Kejriwal will take your question and respond to it, over lunch, in Bangalore.

The much-talked-about AAP fundraiser event has now got a price tag to attract the High Networth Individuals (HNI), so that they can help fill the coffers of the party.
This decision of AAP has reiterated the interest of political parties in approaching corporates to fund their election campaign.

With the Rs-20,000 ticket for the interaction with Kejriwal, the AAP is trying to ensure that no stone is left unturned for the success of the event. But AAP leaders say they are finding it tough to get a venue to host the event.

AAP member Prithvi Reddy said the party had approached several high-profile educational institutions in the city, asking them to rent out their halls which have good acoustics and seating arrangements for the interaction.

However, none seems to be keen on renting the hall out to AAP.

“The institutions, while stating that the cause is good, do not want to take the risk of renting it out to a political party,” said Reddy.

The AAP is looking to attract at least 400 HNIs for the fundraiser. Such events are being planned across the country.

While AAP and its members believe that there is nothing wrong in approaching corporates for funding, leaders of other parties say that the funding from major companies is part of the latter’s strategy to associate themselves with the next possible government.

Former corporate honcho and AAP member V Balakrishnan, who is said to be spearheading the fund-raising event, states that the involvement of corporates in directly funding parties is, in fact, a good thing.

“The present problem is the lack of transparency in political funding. No less than 70 per cent of the funding to parties is by unidentified cash. If more corporates come forth for honest funding, it can weed out corruption in parties,” he states.

Rules for funding

AAP members state that the party has already laid out certain rules for corporates to fund them.

Donations are accepted only by way of cheque and names will be published on the party’s website.

JD(S) leaders state that corporate funding should be banned in Indian politics.
“Corporates which fund parties look for the profit they can gain when any party comes to power. There are strong ties of both the national parties (BJP and Congress), in this election and also previously, with such corporates on a quid pro quo basis,” said JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy.