Congress is facing a cash crunch in M.P. and to fight it the party has found a solution. Those seeking a ticket for the upcoming assembly elections will have to submit their application along with a demand draft of 50,000 rupees.
The rule though it was said that it wouldn’t be applied to those candidates with strong links at the grassroots level. The applications for the tickets can be submitted between March 5th and 15th. The worry is that those with money will be able to walk over those who cannot afford it and this would be unjust. Congress has been out of power in MP for 15 years.
The party’s hope is that through this exercise it will collect funds and will also discourage those who aren’t serious. Payment of rupees 50,000 is applicable to those who belong to the general category, those who belong to the scheduled categories need to pay only 25,000 rupees. The party believes that it will give Congress a winning chance in the upcoming elections. But all is not well because not everybody has responded to the price well. The argument is that by putting a price on the ticket the party is trivialising the election process. Some also see it as giving bait to BJP who would look for any cause to criticise Congress. It will also alienate good candidates from contesting.
Another decision includes not allowing those over 65 years to contest. These decisions are not unanimous and may create rifts in the party. The Congress in Madhya Pradesh faces a significant challenge in the form of Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP. But, if the party isn’t careful about its policy-making it might be putting itself at more risk. The same procedure of charging a fee for tickets is also being considered in Himachal Pradesh but at lower rates.