The Congress on Saturday announced it will launch a nationwide crowdfunding campaign 'Donate for Desh' on December 18 to generate resources for the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP hit out at the opposition party, alleging it was "another attempt to siphon off public money and enrich the Gandhis" and pointed to the recent record cash seizure during income tax raids against a company linked to a Congress MP.

The Congress said that the campaign will be launched on Monday by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi.

At a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and Treasurer Ajay Maken said Indians above the age of 18 can donate a minimum of Rs 138 or in multiples such as Rs 1,380, Rs 13,800 and so on to the campaign.

Venugopal said the crowd funding initiative was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's historic 'Tilak Swaraj Fund', which was launched more than a hundred years ago in 1920-21.

He said the initiative aims to empower the party in creating an India that is rich in equal resource distribution and opportunities.

The party had launched an 'outreach-cum-crowdfunding' campaign on October 2, 2018, ahead of the last general elections, but the campaign did not gain much momentum on the ground.

Congress sources said the party is cash-strapped and facing a dearth of money to fight “the well-oiled BJP poll machinery”. It has alleged that the BJP is garnering a majority of electoral bonds as the scheme is designed to favour the ruling party.

"Our inaugural campaign -- 'Donate for Behtar Bharat' -- commemorates the 138-year journey of the Indian National Congress. Embracing our history, we invite supporters to donate in multiples of Rs 138, symbolising the party's enduring commitment to a better India," Venugopal said.

The Congress said it has created two online channels for the crowdfunding campaign -- a dedicated portal at donateinc.in and the official Congress website at inc.in.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, its national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that those who looted India for 60 years were now seeking donations from the same country.

The Congress has started a 'Donate for Desh' campaign to "deflect public attention from the unparalleled corruption in the party that has once again surfaced following the seizure of a huge amount of cash from its Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu", he claimed.

The BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also slammed the Congress.

"Don't be fooled by the Congress's lofty talk of this crowdsourcing being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's historic Tilak Swaraj Fund".

"They will tarnish both the Mahatma and Tilak. Going by their previous track record, this will turn out to be nothing but another attempt to siphon off public money and enrich the Gandhis," he alleged in a post on X.

"All the hard-earned money people donate, if they do, will go to the Gandhis, who will continue to enjoy the good life. Worse, the move will be reduced to nothing, but another means to solicit dirty money, the kind Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu has been caught with," Malviya alleged and added "Don't ‘Donate for Dynasty'".

The Income-tax department raids against an Odisha-based distillery firm owned by Sahu's family, and some linked entities, ended early Friday, capping ten days of searches and recording the country's "highest-ever" cash haul at Rs 351 crore, official sources had said.

The Congress has distanced itself from the MP, claiming the party has nothing to do with his business.

On Saturday, Venugopal said the crowdfunding campaign will be officially launched by Kharge on December 18 and the donation link will go live at the same time.

All Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents will raise awareness about the campaign through press conferences and social media, he said, adding that the campaign will primarily be online until December 28, the party's foundation day.

After that, ground campaigns -- including door-to-door visits by volunteers, targeting at least 10 houses in every booth for contributions of at least Rs 138 from each -- will be launched.

Venugopal said state-level office bearers, elected representatives, District Congress Committee presidents, PCC chiefs and AICC officials will be encouraged to contribute at least Rs 1,380 each.

"For the campaign's effectiveness, all PCC presidents will identify potential donors among the party's well-wishers and functionaries, aiming for contributions of Rs 1,380 or Rs 13,800. This strategic approach will ensure the success of our vision for a better India," he said.

"This strategic approach will ensure the success of our vision for a better India. Therefore, we think that this is going to be one of the biggest crowdfunding by any political party in India," Venugopal said.

Maken said the 'Donate for Desh' campaign will work as an umbrella for a series of fundraisers.

Venugopal also announced a "mammoth rally" in Maharashtra's Nagpur on December 28 to mark the party's 138th foundation day. He said at least 10 lakh people will attend the historic rally.

The rally, he said, will be attended by all Congress office-bearers, leaders and workers from across the country.

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