New Delhi: The Congress party on Wednesday said that its newly launched donation website faced a staggering 20,400 cyber attacks within the first two days of operation.Despite these challenges, the party managed to successfully collect Rs 2.81 crore from a substantial donor base of over 1.13 lakh individuals, the Deccan Herald reported.Among the donors, 32 individuals contributed more than Rs one lakh, with notable names including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot, Jairam Ramesh, and Pawan Khera. More than 600 people donated Rs 13,800.The maximum contributions came from Maharashtra (Rs 56 lakh), followed by Rajasthan (Rs 26 lakh), Delhi (Rs 20 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 19 lakh) and Karnataka (Rs 18 lakh), the report said.According to a senior party leader quoted by the paper, a significant number of donors from Bihar made contributions in smaller denominations reflecting a broad base of support for the party.The donation website, www.donateinc.in, attracted an audience of 1.2 crore visitors in the initial 48 hours. However, it was followed by more than 20,000 cyber attacks, including 1,340 attempts to steal data.The party said that they had anticipated these attacks and implemented robust firewalls to tackle this problem.A breakdown of the payment preferences of donors showed that 81% chose the UPI route, followed by credit cards (7.95%), debit cards (6.34%), net banking (4.78%), and a minimal 0.02% opting for RTGS-NEFT.To enhance the donation drive, Congress treasurer Ajay Maken has outlined a three-pronged strategy, the Deccan Herald report said.This includes sending observers to states for leader training ahead of the door-to-door campaign starting on December 28. QR codes will be displayed at Congress rallies to facilitate donations, and the party is exploring the possibility of raising funds through merchandising, featuring items like T-shirts signed by leaders.Beyond the financial aspect, the donation drive serves as a means for the party to connect with its supporters. Data collected through the campaign will be shared with state units, enabling targeted outreach efforts to strengthen the party’s ties with its base.