New Delhi, In a strategic move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has managed to secure a crucial domain, redirecting Congress’ ‘Donate for Desh’ campaign to its own donation page. The move comes as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched the crowdfunding campaign on Monday, urging the public to contribute to the party.
The domain in question, DonateforDesh.org, now redirects visitors to the BJP’s donation page. Adding to this twist, OpIndia, another website, acquired two related domains associated with the campaign, redirecting them to their own donation pages.
On the other hand, Congress has set up a different domain, [https://donateinc.net/](https://donateinc.net/), to receive donations. Despite this, the BJP’s pre-emptive move with the domain has added an unexpected dimension to the online fundraising efforts.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, during the launch of the ‘Donate for Desh’ crowdfunding campaign, emphasized the party’s historic move to seek public donations. He highlighted the significance of this approach, citing Mahatma Gandhi’s acceptance of public donations during the freedom struggle.
Kharge acknowledged the importance of broadening the party’s funding base beyond reliance on wealthy individuals, emphasizing the need to align research closely with the needs of the broader community.
Domain Booking Process:
The episode brings attention to the critical aspect of domain booking. A domain name serves as the address where internet users access a website. BJP and OpIndia, by securing relevant domains, capitalized on this digital real estate to redirect users to their respective donation pages.
The basic steps to book a domain involve choosing a domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Bluehost), searching for availability, and, upon confirmation, purchasing the domain with a yearly registration fee.
This incident highlights the strategic importance of securing online assets in the political landscape, where digital presence and fundraising play pivotal roles.