Goa Polls: TMC not ready to bankroll election expenses, candidates have to spend from their own pocket

PANAJI: In what could come as bad news for several gold-digger candidate aspirants, who made a beeline to join the All India Trinamool Congress party (TMC), merely to enrich themselves, the party high command in Kolkata, according to reliable sources, has indicated that candidates have to fund their own election expenses in the respective constituencies and the party will not pay for the individual expenses of each and every candidate who contests on the TMC banner.

We made several attempts to contact TMC MP Derek O’Brien and I-PAC chief Prashant Kishor for comment, but there was no response from any senior TMC leader in this regard. SMS messages sent to Derek O’Brien went answered and even party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee did not respond to our messages on social media.

Apparently, while the TMC leadership is keen to contest in multiple constituencies in Goa, it is unwilling to bankroll all the expenses and wants candidates to put put their money where their mouth is.

According to sources, nearly 20 prospective or aspirant candidates – besides the known names, have contacted the TMC high command in Kolkata, as well as the local leadership in Goa, indicating their interest in contesting, but they were clearly told to arrange for election expenditure and funds on their own and only then aspire to contest. Aspirant candidates keen on contesting on the TMC banner have been clearly told to keep a minimum war chest of Rs 50 lakh per constituency ready before approaching the party for a ticket.

Sources in the know said the party would pay for state-wide expenses like a common media plan, common social media promotion, advertisements in local print media through a barter deal with a local publication and such similar activity as well as print banners, publicity material, etc., which can be used throughout the state.

But each candidate in individual constituencies would have to do their own tailor-made expenditure which will not be reimbursed by the party.