Odisha: Congress asks aspiring candidates to deposit Rs 50k for supply of campaign material

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has asked candidates aspiring for party tickets in the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections to deposit Rs 50,000 each for supply of campaign materials.

OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak has written letter to the prospective candidates in this regard.

Pattnayak said the OPCC is open to accept cheques of Rs 50,000 from shortlisted candidates on behalf of the party to supply branding and campaign materials of an equivalent value to them.

"The cheque will be in favour of OPCC and not in the name of any individual leader...," he said.

The party had received about 3,000 applications from aspirants for 147 Odisha assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha constituencies. Pattnayak did not disclose the number of shortlisted candidates who have paid the amount.

Sources, however, said that many aspirants have already deposited cheques for the stated amount.

The Congress state leadership justified the collection of funds from candidates and maintained that it was being demanded so that there is a smooth flow of election materials during campaigning. It will also help keep away non-serious aspirants, a senior leader said.

A one-to-one meeting with shortlisted candidates in this regard was held at a hotel in Puri recently where the party discussed election strategies.

This apart, the aspirants had drawn attention of the party's national leadership that they were not getting campaign material. The money received from the aspiring candidates will be used for the purpose of supplying campaign materials.

"The cheques will be returned to aspirants who do not get tickets after candidates are finalised," Pattnayak said.

Senior Congress leader and MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati justified the decision stating that Congress candidates will have to make certain sacrifices for the party.

"The cheques are being accepted officially and there is nothing to hide. As the party does not have enough funds, candidates will have to make some sacrifices," Bahinipati said.

The Congress on Friday said it has received fresh notices from the income-tax department, asking it to pay around Rs 1,823 crore.