New Delhi, Sep 30 (Agencies): Ahead of the Bihar polls, Congress seems to be cash-strapped as it has asked all its MPs ex-MPs, ex-MLAs to donate a month’s salary to the party to overcome its worst-ever financial crisis.

It was widely being reported that there was a “severe cash crunch” in the party during last year’s Lok Sabha elections also. The crisis reportedly continued through assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

AICC treasurer Motilal Vora has written letters to all 44 Lok Sabha MPs and 65 Rajya Sabha MPs asking them to donate their one month salary, while the Delhi unit of Congress yesterday had a meeting at which ex-MPs and ex-MLAs were asked to deposit Rs 1 lakh each for party fund by the first week of October.

The Congress’s Delhi in-charge PC Chacko and Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken will meet former MPs and MLAs on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

The state leadership have also been asked to rope in the party ministers and ex-ministers to mop up resources, while the AICC will be asking ex-Union Ministers, who served in either UPA or UPA II governments or both to liberally help the party in the hour of need, says a report in Hindustan Times.

The upper limit for seeking donation from party leaders is not limited to Rs 1 lakh and in some cases it could go up to even Rs 5 lakhs. In February, the party had made it mandatory for each member to contribute Rs 250 per year to the party fund.