12 November,2016 08:22 AM IST | | Dharmendra Jore
If politicians in Mumbai are to be believed, then people, mainly cash hoarders, are willing to contribute to election funds on the condition that leaders or parties accept their old currency notes and get the money converted to white
If politicians in Mumbai are to be believed, then people, mainly cash hoarders, are willing to contribute to election funds on the condition that leaders or parties accept their old currency notes and get the money converted to white.
The proposal has flummoxed the leaders who are entrusted with providing resources to their respective parties ahead of the BMC polls, primarily because they are themselves struggling to get rid of whatever cash they have in hand or is in the party coffers. They said it would be quite risky if they tried to get the donors' cash regularised before December 30.
"Our leader received calls from some corporate houses and rich businessmen, including the owner of a sweet mart chain in city, saying that they were ready to give huge donations to the party, but that the party would have to take the responsibility of turning the black money into white. If we agree, then this money conversion business will be a tedious and risky task," said a leader, who is close to a senior functionary of a national party.
The leader from another national party said he too was made such offers, but he didn't take them seriously. "We already have problems... Election funding is definitely going to get affected. What's the point then in accepting offers that involve risk and scrutiny?" he said.
