Parties seek funds from people for poll campaign

Mysuru: A few years ago, one of the strategies followed by independent candidates and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) candidates to fund their election campaign was to seek monetary support from the public along with votes. Now, many leaders are following a similar strategy to win over voters citing a more responsive politics.
The Sarvodaya Karnataka Party (SKP) has also decided to seek funds with every vote while campaigning in the name of ‘swabhimana’ (pride) in all the constituencies, where it will be contesting.
Badagalapura Nagendra, president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, said that the organisation has decided to field candidates in five constituencies under the banner Sarvodaya Karnataka. SKP candidates are contesting from Melukote, Mandya, Virajpet, Belthangady, and Bilagi. In these five constituencies, our candidates are seeking votes along with notes (funds) as we follow the politics of self-respect, Nagendra said.
In the year 1989, KRRS fielded candidates in 137 constituencies. From deposits to campaign expenses, money was pooled in from the public, he recalled.
In Mysuru city, Krishnaraja MLA SA Ramadas has launched the campaign ‘Notu Nimmadu-Vote Nimmadu’ (Your Money-Your Vote). He said that from April 2 he will launch this campaign officially to make the voters aware about the constituency’s development. According to Ramadas, he launched the Your Money-Your Vote campaign to make the voters aware that they have to be more responsible while selecting their representative. “On Friday night, a 92-year-old woman gave me Rs 50. I am coming across similar experiences everywhere,” he said.
“People blame politicians for corruption. Making elections free of money power is the first step in making politics clean. At the time of my first election in 1994, people only crowdfunded resources for my election,” he recalled.
In Hunsur constituency, JD(S) leader GD Harish Gowda has received Rs 65 lakh as part of crowdfunding for his campaign.
Residents of Kadakoppalu Koppa have given Rs10 lakh and Veerashaiva leaders (Rs 25 lakh) have also extended support.
“They are donating money to send out a message that we all must work together to ensure my victory. They have donated money out of admiration,” said Harish Gowda.