Nagpur: Nagpur city Congress has collected over Rs 2.5 lakh through crowdfunding, an initiative started across the country in which ‘collective participation’ has become the keyword. For party’s local expenses including manpower at the office or agitations and campaigns, the money will be sourced through such crowdfunding for which a QR code is being shared.Praful Gudadhe, city Congress president said “This ends a long standing practice of the president alone raising funds and bearing the expenses.”Gudadhe Patil said the initiative was part of the All India Congress Committee’s ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan’ for 2025-26, announced after the Ahmedabad session. District presidents had already received a ten-day training covering their responsibilities, organisational work and fund management as part of the drive.On why public funding was the only way forward, he said the party’s founding identity required it. Gudadhe said, “Congress means the people. Congress means agitation. For that agitation you need funds. Those funds should not belong to one person. They should belong to the people, to society. They should come from the contributions of those for whose issues we fight.”He said the current initiative revived a practice the party’s founder had established over a century ago. Gudadhe said, “At the 1920 Nagpur session, Gandhi created Congress’ organisational structure, the Block Congress Committee, the District Congress Committee, the Pradesh Congress Committee and the All India Congress Committee. To fund this, there was a membership fee, the charkha membership. After Tilak’s death, Gandhi started the Tilak Smriti Fund and crowd-funding was collected from people in Tilak’s memory. This is an old concept for Congress. But in the middle period, Congress drifted away from this concept entirely.”On what the practice had been before this initiative, Gudadhe said the nationwide pattern had shut ordinary workers out. “Until now, none of the district or city Congress presidents in Nagpur or anywhere else used crowd-funding. Even if no one said it publicly, whoever was president would spend from his own pocket. Lakhs of rupees are spent every month to run a party in a large city, and because of that, ordinary workers did not even dare,” he said.He described how the structural flaw had made Congress presidents across India effectively private financiers for the party. Gudadhe said, “The pattern was the same across the entire country. Whoever became the district president, the entire responsibility fell on his shoulders and he had to spend from his own pocket. But this burden should not be on one person alone. People’s participation is essential. Until people participate with body, mind and resources, Congress cannot stand up in a new way.”He said the drive was open to everyone in the party’s orbit and a simple payment method had been set up. Gudadhe said, “We are calling on Congress workers, office-bearers, functionaries, sympathizers and some businessmen to participate in this crowd-funding and donate to the party. After our meetings, we have placed a scanner there. People can scan it and deposit money.”He said collections had already begun. “These kinds of news reports also appeared in newspapers, and following that, some workers themselves asked for the QR code. I sent it to them and they have already deposited money,” he said.Asked about a fixed monthly contribution for office-bearers, Gudadhe said the decision was not his alone to make. “I will not decide that alone. I will discuss it with everyone. After the district executive is announced, we will discuss it at that meeting and the amount will be decided after consulting everyone,” he said.On accountability for the funds collected, Gudadhe said a three-tier check would govern every rupee. Gudadhe said, “For all office-bearers, a specific monthly amount will be fixed by mutual agreement. We will deposit that as party funds and all expenses will be drawn from there. Full transparency will be maintained. The treasurer will keep the accounts and those accounts will also need the approval of the district executive.”On whether the change removed a barrier for grassroots workers aspiring to party office, Gudadhe said the AICC had made that opening explicit. “The All India Congress Committee has accepted this change. An ordinary worker who does not have financial strength but has the ability to lead and to work among people, such an ordinary person can also become the president of this party. This preparation is for exactly that,” he said.
