LUCKNOW: From a 50 years old farmer who sold eucalyptus trees for donation to an eight-year girl who donated all her piggy bank savings and housewife who besides donation, contributed by making posters and banners for the event, the fund raising lunch hosted by the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday raised more than Rs 15 lakh from 200-odd donors from Lucknow and adjoining districts.

The attraction for all was not the purely vegetarian Rs 11,000 per plate Awadhi lunch but desire to support clean politics. The generous donors and die-hard supporters clapped and sang ‘Ruke na jo, Jhuke na jo, hum woh inqlab hain…’ as they enjoyed the lunch hosted to raise funds for Delhi assembly elections campaign.

Rakesh Kumar Premil, a farmer from Siongi village of Fatehpur block of Barabanki, sold 20 eucalyptus tree grown on his land to pay for the lunch. “I got Rs 670 for each tree. Of the total Rs 13,400 collected, I donated Rs 11,001,” said Premil, who has been associated with AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal for the last four years since the Anna movement days. A bachelor with no family, Premil also recalled how he sold 3 bigha land, out of total 18, to support Anna movement and for establishing AAP's office in his district.

Riddhima, student of class II, had come with her parents all the way from Kanpur. Her father Ankur Katiyar donated Rs 11,000 for the lunch, while she gave away Rs 500 from her piggy bank savings. Civil engineer Ankur is associated with AAP since its inception. His daughter got more applause when after donating money she posed flashing the victory sign and chanting ‘panch saal, Kejriwal’.

UP spokesperson Vaibhav Maheshwari said while around 150 persons attended the lunch, rest donated online. Though the lunch was for Rs 11,000, donors contributed as per their means, highest Rs 75,000 was donated by M Vaqaus, a resident of Lucknow working in Dubai and lowest was Rs 200 made by a student. Six donors made Rs 50,000 or above contribution, two between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 and rest Rs 11,000 or below. “Even Re 1 is valuable for us,” said AAP leader Manish Sisodia , who attended the event along with Kejriwal's message.

G K Shukla, 74-year old retirted professor from IIT-Kanpur, attended an AAP function for the first time. “I have been following the party and felt that such a transparent way of political funding should be encouraged,” he said.

Homemaker Deepa Agarwal, who attended the lunch along with her family, said, “I also design and make posters and banners for the party.” While Anil Ujjwal, a teacher, felt that AAP represents clean politics, businessman Mohammed Saeed said the party was facing tough time but he is sure the struggle will not go waste. Amrit Nath Shukla, a medicine shop owner, said he had donated money because he wants clean politics.

