Cash-strapped TD turns to NRIs

Hyderabad

March 18: The Telugu Desam is literally begging for money from NRIs settled in about 90 countries to tide over the lack of funds for campaign. Once dubbed as the richest regional party in the country, the Telugu Desam is now hard pressed for funds.
Its regular donors distanced themselves form the party after it went out of power and it has now turned towards Telugu NRIs to fill up its empty coffers.
“Donate a dollar per Assembly constituency,” says an appeal put up by the Telugu Desam on its website meant for NRIs. “The State has 294 Assembly segments. So please donate 294 US dollars.”
To strike a chord with the NRIs, the Telugu Desam leadership has also posted photographs showing party founder N.T. Rama Rao with an open bag seeking money from the masses.
The Telugu Desam leadership has ensured that the quantum of donation from an individual NRI does not exceed Rs 20,000 to avoid inviting the provisions of the FERA. As per the Central government’s rules, any donation above Rs 20,000 has to be accompanied with details of the donor’s passport.
The Telugu Desam, however, is not miffed by the criticism generated by the fund-raising programme.
“There’s nothing wrong in a political party seeking funds from people and admirers,” said the senior Telugu Desam leader, Mr Nagam Janardhan Reddy. “After all, we need money to run the show.”
The Telugu Desam leadership has also collected email addresses of Telugu-speaking people settled abroad to directly contact them seeking funds. Further, it is asking NRI supporters to ask family members and relatives in the state to vote for the party and its allies.
Meanwhile, donors who contributed heavily during the earlier round are now reportedly bringing pressure on the Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, to give party tickets to their kin.