Atishi says her crowdfunding campaign raised Rs 70 lakh

Exactly three months after launching a crowdfunding drive for her Lok Sabha poll campaign, AAP candidate for East Delhi Atishi Marlena said she successfully raised her target of Rs 70 lakh on Monday. The campaign on platform ourdemocracy.in had received widespread support from politicians across party lines, social activists, actors and educationists, she said.

Among the endorsers and supporters were former minister Yashwant Sinha, actors Gul Panag and Javed Jaffery, MLA Jignesh Mevani, Karuna Nundy, playwright Girish Karnad, the AAP said in a statement. Marlena thanked those who supported her campaign and helped the party raise the target of Rs 70 lakhs well in time for the election.

"Thousands of ordinary people who have had no association with political parties in the past vested their trust and faith in this campaign. What has been heartening is the number of small contributions under Rs 500 and also the number of donations that have come from East Delhi itself," she said. Marlena termed it an extraordinary moment of democracy when people got together and raised the entire amount needed to run a poll campaign, within the Rs 70 lakh limit of the Election Commission.

"If I am elected, I will be accountable to the people who voted for me and those who contributed small amount to our campaign, and not to large corporations and vested interests. This is the power of crowdfunding and honest politics," she added. "It is my hope that our campaign serves as an encouragement to all those aam aadmis in this country who wish to bring about a political change in the country but are deprived of the opportunity for lack of financing," she added.