‘Elections can be won without spending money’

Ahmedabad: Busting the myth that you need to shell out buckets of cash to lure voters, 168 winners across 10 districts in the recent gram panchayat polls say they spent next to nothing to fight the elections.

The only expense Savitri Patel of Meghba Muvadi village in Dahod’s Devgadh Baria incurred was the price of the nomination form.

“Before polls, I taught all female voters of my ward how to vote. I prepared a table and went every day to the voters to teach them how to stamp.

People in my village were aware of my potential and have trusted me,” she said, of her winning a spot as panchayat member.

Similarly, a 22-yearold Nirali Parghi also won her seat at the head of the gram panchayat with almost no expense.

“There was no spending, except for some pamphlets,” asserted Nirali Parghi. All it took was six months of advocacy, and the efforts of nongovernmental organizations including Mahiti Adhikar Pahel (MAP).