The Congress’ Lok Sabha election campaign in Kerala is facing a cash crunch. On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan admitted that the party did not have money to buy “a glass of lime juice for election workers”.
The Congress’ cash woes stem from the Income Tax department’s politically stormy decision to block the party from accessing its bank accounts for belatedly filing the 2017-18 tax returns.
A cash shortage will likely manifest in national leaders and star campaigners scaling down their campaign itinerary in the State. It will pressure over-stressed candidates to shore up resources to keep their campaigns on track. A depleted election war chest will make massive rallies and high-profile roadshows few and far between.
Losing the political money fight at the hustings could yield more propaganda space to rivals, demoralise workers, and deprive the disadvantaged party of the glitter of a colourful and healthy election campaign.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) seem to have a cash edge over the Congress. The BJP’s 10-year-incumbency advantage has given it sufficient time and latitude to muster resources to fund its expansive electoral operations in the States. For one, it has fielded two Central Ministers in Kerala.
Over the years, the CPI(M) has built a robust fundraising network that depends mainly on the levy paid by members and public-fund collection drives.
However, the Congress is poised to take the issue to the people. It hopes to replenish its election war chest by encouraging people to make trifling donations to the party’s election effort. Crowd-sourcing and printing small-contribution coupons are options.
It believes the impending fundraising campaign will create voter sympathy and yield political and electoral dividends in the Lok Sabha polls. With time running out, replenishing the election chest at short notice might be an uphill task for the party.
