This Congress Candidate in Karnataka is Going the Crowd-funding Way for His Campaign Expenses

Bengaluru: "The power of money is what matters the most during elections," says 33-year-old Yogesh Babu, adding “especially if you are pitted against a close aide from the Janardhan Reddy clan”.

But for Congress leader Yogesh Babu, who is contesting against BJP’s B Sreeramalu from the Molkalmuru constituency, the money will come from the public.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the SM & Digital Communications team of the Congress has decided to launch a crowd-funding campaign to support Babu's candidature with an aim to bring more transparency into electoral politics.

Yogesh Babu, a PhD scholar in Sanskrit and native of Molkalmuru, is a debutante in electoral politics but has worked his way up from the grassroots level. He is known for his 'clean image' and is a popular youth icon in the region. The Congress leader believes that he would rather have the people choose between the dirty politics on offer or clean politics he has to offer.

"These last 2-3 days are crucial for campaigning; my opponents are spoiling the voters with their money, which is why the money I get through this platform will be used towards the good works for the people of the area," said a confident Yogesh Babu.

The party has set a target of Rs 28 lakhs for Babu’s crowd-funding, which is also the amount permitted by the Election Commission for a candidate to spend on campaign activities. At the time of publishing this article, Yogesh Babu had received Rs 4,19,340 from 184 donors with 2 more days to go before campaigning ends. Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 and results will be announced on May 15.