Target of collecting ₹25 crore for party fund: A headache for BJP ministers in Uttarakhand

For ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs and senior party leaders, the diktat of national party President Amit Shah to collect ₹25 crore from Uttarakhand state for party fund has become a headache. The party legislators, state Ministers, MPs and senior party leaders have been allocated targets to meet the state level target.

A meeting of the core committee of the Uttarakhand BJP comprising of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, BJP and RSS functionaries, MLAs, MPs and party functionaries was held in Dehradun on Tuesday evening in which the fund collection drive remained the main issue.

The national party chief has given a target of ₹25 crore to the Uttarakhand BJP unit for collection as part of Aajiwan Sahyog Nidhi (Lifelong Support Fund) from grass root party workers. The main aim of the fund raising was also to involve the grass root workers with the party through financial involvement.

“We are only taking payments through cheques for complete transparency,” said Ajay Bhatt, President of the Uttarakhand unit of the party.

However, according to party sources, the sluggish response on fund collection drive has prompted the party bigwigs to hold a meeting of the core committee to give the necessary push. There was no official word from the party after the meeting. However, some of the party legislators were unhappy at being given targets to achieve.

“The task of collecting ₹40 lakh to me is a huge target from my backward assembly segment,” Desraj Karnwal, BJP MLA from Jhabrerra was complaining after the meeting.

As per party sources, Uttarakhand BJP President Ajay Bhatt confirmed that only 10-20 per cent of the target has been achieved. The party unit was supposed to achieve the target by January 26, 2018. But party leaders maintained that the dead line for fund collecting drive would be extended.

As per party insiders, each district has been given a target. While the prosperous plain districts of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital districts have been given bigger targets, the hilly districts having not much business or trade are given smaller targets. While the party leaders have been directed to collect 25 percent of the target of each district, the Ministers have been entrusted with the remaining 75 percent of the target.