Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) collected Rs 3.07 lakh from voters in Shillong on 27 March 2024 to bankroll its Lok Sabha by‑election campaign, flipping the usual donor‑recipient dynamic.
The money was raised at a rally on Polo Ground that drew an estimated 10,000 supporters, with party president and Meghalaya legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit addressing the crowd.
Basaiawmoit said the party would not pay people to attend meetings or provide food, insisting it would work for the people as servants. He added, "As we have been saying, the politics of the Voice of the People’s Party is different… we are not going to provide money to the people to attend our meetings; we are not going to arrange food for the supporters."
Candidate Dr Batskhem Myrboh stressed that elections should be fought on issues and trust, not financial inducements, and that VPP would seek support through work rather than money.
The party has pledged to carry the same model into the 2028 Assembly elections, arguing that a special party is unnecessary when parties adopt VPP’s approach.
By turning voters into donors, VPP hopes to reshape electoral politics in Meghalaya and set a precedent for other states.