26 March,2024 06:10 PM IST | Thiruvananthapuram | mid-day online correspondent
Shashi Tharoor. File pic
The Congress party on Tuesday reiterated that its candidates are facing a financial crunch while campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as the party's bank accounts are frozen by the Central government.
As per PTI report, Congress Working Committee member and MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor said that all party candidates 'were in a financial crunch'. "The party has had its accounts frozen and is unable to give us the kind of support we would have liked to have from our party. We have, nonetheless, very loyal and hardworking Congress workers everywhere who are doing what they can and when the Election Commission allows us to raise funds legally from the public, we will do so," Tharoor said.
He expressed confidence that the public will not let the Congress campaign stumble because of a lack of money. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan said, "We cannot provide funds to our workers like the BJP and the CPI(M) can. The people of Kerala know that. Through their votes they will show that democracy is more important than money and propaganda," reported PTI.
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Senior Congress leader and former chief minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan on Friday made similar claims. He said that Congress party was unable to access funds for Lok Sabha poll campaign related expenses due to the 'freeze' on accounts and asserted the Election Commission of India must intervene.
Chavan, who is the party's Lok Sabha election campaign committee chief for Maharashtra, claimed that 11 accounts belonging to the Congress across four banks are frozen by the Income Tax department. Speaking to the media, Chavan said the party was unable to pay staff salaries, cover travel expenses of leaders, fund candidates or even advertise in newspapers and media channels.
The senior Congress leader had also urged the public to take charge of this election, contribute small amounts, and safeguard the country from slipping into dictatorship.
The Lok Sabha elections for 2024 are scheduled from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases. The results will be declared on June 4.
(With PTI inputs)
