Aam Aadmi Party: Driven by spirit, lacking funds for fuel

Barmer: Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal may be having dinners to raise funds, but in the back-of-the-beyond seats like this, the party's candidates have been left to fend for themselves when it comes to raising money for running their campaign.


It is a David versus Goliath fight for AAP candidate Mangi Lal Gaur here as he is contesting against three strong candidates with his enthusiasm only given that funds are difficult to come by in this area where elections are dominated by caste equations.

In the absence of any election paraphernalia like posters and banners, one has to ask for directions to reach the nondescript residence of Gaur. There was no hustle-bustle or hordes of supporters cheering him outside.

A decrepit Mahindra Jeep parked outside the house is testimony to the limited means with which Gaur plans to take on former Union Minister Jaswant Singh, three-time MP Col (retd) Sonaram Chaudhary and sitting Congress MP Harish Chaudhary.

"We do not have funds for fuel. The party has asked me to raise funds by asking for donations and not depend on them.

"Lifelong, I have not asked for a single penny from anyone, so it is difficult for me now... I am fighting the elections to make a point against corruption," Gaur, a retired additional district judge, told PTI.

Sitting in the verandah of his two-room rented house, the anti-corruption activist says the constituency has at least 2,000 booths with over 16 lakh voters spread over an area of 71,601 square kilometres which is larger than the size of Sri Lanka.

"To reach all these people, one needs transportation and modes of communication like posters, banners, etc. We are trying to manage on our own but the means are really limited," he said.

The 64-year-old activist says he was associated with the Anna Hazare movement in Jodhpur and later joined AAP when it was founded by Kejriwal.