In Meghalaya’s capital, Shillong, one of the prominent opposition parties, the Voice of the People’s Party (VPP), has launched a crowdfunding campaign for its ensuing Lok Sabha by-election.
Instead of expecting money, food, or freebies from political parties, these supporters are putting their own money behind a political cause they believe in. The message is simple: voters are the masters, and politicians are their servants. At the heart of the campaign is a challenge to conventional election practices-whether political support should be earned through trust and public service rather than money and inducements. The message the party sought to underline was clear: voters say no to freebies, money, and bribes, and yes to politics built on public trust and accountability. If we follow the model of other political parties, then since we have so many political parties, there is no need for a special party.”
Because we are capable of buying the voters or the people, any political party that states or commits to abide by the Constitution of India has to follow the example of the VPP, where we go to the people; we seek the support of the people based on issues, based on confidence, based on connection with the people, not. Therefore, if the other political parties in India follow the model that we have here in Meghalaya, led by the VPP and also reflecting the democratic consciousness, the democratic ethos that the people of the Shillong Parliamentary constituency have, I do not doubt that India will be a developed country in no time. Supporters have contributed Rs 3,07,000 to help the party contest the election, turning the usual election story on its head. The message was on display at Polo Ground in Shillong, where an estimated 10,000 people gathered for a VPP rally led by party president and Nongkrem legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit. The Rs 3,07,000 contribution added a striking dimension to the gathering, placing supporters at the centre of the campaign rather than portraying them as passive recipients of political promises. Myrboh said the party would continue with this approach in the 2028 Assembly elections, stating, “The party will carry forward this trend in the 2028 Assembly elections, stating that definitely this is always the strategy of the VPP in any election; otherwise, there is no point for us to contest elections like the other political parties.
He said, “In a truly democratic system, in a truly democratic polity, it is very wrong for any political party to bribe the voters.
