New Delhi, April 10: Jaspal Bhatti is aiming at India`s notoriously corrupt political elite.
Jaspal Bhatti, known for his biting satire on Indian TV shows, unveiled his new party and field of candidates on Thursday -- saying he hoped to give the big parties a run for their dirty money.
"The world is talking of economic slowdown but there is no recession for our politicians, who are spending millions to win seats in parliament," Bhatti said.
He said his new "Recession Party" did not have enough cash to outspend the big political players, but would instead handsomely reward contributors if elected.
"The Recession Party will not spend a single cent but anyone who funds our campaign will share the profits after our candidates become MPs and start earning. It`s a business proposition," the humourist said.
If campaign money does become available, he added, "we will offer liquor and money to bribe voters and we will do it in a transparent manner."
India`s Election Commission confirmed it had received a request from Bhatti to contest the polls and that it was looking into the application.
Politicians in India from all parties are widely viewed by many voters as being fundamentally corrupt, with a seat in parliament considered to be a ticket to personal enrichment rather than an act of civic duty.
According to the Centre for Media Studies, a private Indian think-tank, at least 100 billion rupees (two billion dollars) will be spent on the campaign for this month`s general elections.
It also says as much as 25 billion rupees of the outlay has been earmarked for "unofficial" cash purchases of votes.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.