Congress mulls over adopting Kerala model to fill coffers

Facing a financial crunch, Congress is now mulling adopting its Kerala unit’s fund collection method to augment its coffers: by reaching out to people for smaller donations.

Sources said the idea was mooted at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir, where Kerala leaders—especially former Kerala Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala—briefed the group dealing with organisational issues about their fund collection methods of the past several years.

Although the idea did not make it to the final Udaipur Declaration, the report prepared by the committee on the deliberations specifically mentioned the Kerala unit’s way of mobilising funds. There was also a special reference about collecting small donations such as Rs 5 or Rs 10 from households, sources said.

A senior leader who was part of the deliberations in Udaipur said the idea could be replicated across the country. He also revealed that the party could also be looking at corporate donations, and a strategy would be finalised soon.

At the Udaipur conclave, the Kerala unit had suggested that the party should identify workers who can “donate a fixed amount of money for the party’s functioning on a monthly basis”.

They said the donors should be able to deposit money into a specified bank account by the 10th of each month.

The fund raising exercise, sources said, will also add to the reach out to the general public.

At the Udaipur conclave, the Kerala unit had suggested that the party should identify workers who can “donate a fixed amount of money for the party’s functioning on a monthly basis”. They said the donors should be able to deposit money into a specified bank account by the 10th of each month.