The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has instructed its district units to accept the party ticket applications along with a donation of Rs 11,000 which the party has termed as “sahyog rashi” (assistance amount). The ticket hopefuls can make the payment through the RTGS online mode, or using demand drafts and pay orders.
The window for candidates seeking party ticket to submit their applications started from Thursday and the last date to apply is September 26.
“There is nothing wrong with it. Our party is not a corporate party like the BJP. Our party works with the support of its people and thus we are taking this ‘sahyog rashi’ along with the application to support the organisation and its people and their upcoming activities,” state Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu told The Indian Express.
He said that while other parties charge hefty sum off the record as contributions against the ticket, they have been “upfront”. He added that the amount is just a token sum and will be used in the publicity of the party.
The application pro forma has sought the details of the amount transferred along with the along with information about an applicant’s political background, social media presence — including the number of their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube followers, and since when they have been active on these platforms — caste, and details of any cases or convictions.
The Indian Express quoted sources saying that the application pro forma was prepared after consulting Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi during her recent visit to Lucknow. “In the application, the candidates are required to give details of their political background, social work done by them among other things,” said a state-level leader associated with the process.
