Mohamed Hussain
mohammedhussain.reporter@gmail.com
Hyderabad: According to a report in the 2019 general election in India poll expenditure was around 55,000 to 60,000 crore rupees. Instead, the election commission of India has only permitted 10 to 12 crore for political parties.
Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner of India said, “Money a misuse, to conduct independent and fair elections is a big challenge for our democratic country. He said that they have kept strict and detailed guidelines and kept an eye on politicians.
Let us see how the election commission of India has stood on their challenge?
The total amount of money spent on the estimated around Rs 55-60,000 crore, with the ruling BJP estimated to have spent 45% of the total expenditure in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The study ‘Poll Expenditure: The 2019 Elections’ by a private think that the Centre of Media Studies (CMS) claimed.
The report says that the 2019 general election in India turns out to be the most expensive election ever anywhere. Lok Sabha will go down as a bitterly fought vicious campaign.
The CMS report claimed that the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) was the highest political party to spend 45% of the total expenditure in the 2019 elections. This would be around Rs 27000 crore, estimating that Rs 700 per vote, it said that on an average, nearly Rs 100 crore has been spent per seat this time, the report said.
The political Biopics was also a huge expenditure this time as most of the politicians have spent a huge amount for making of their own biopics like Narendra Modi, NTR, The Accidental Prime Minister, Thackeray and Udyama Simham on KCR. Could see that a rise in expenditure on the biopic and other related costs.
According to the CMS report, around Rs 12,000-15,000 crore were disbursed among 20-25% voters, while Rs 20,000-25,000 crore were spent on campaign and publicity. Around Rs 5,000-6,000 crore was spent on logistics while Rs 3-6,000 crore utilized for other purposes.
Around Rs 10-12,000 crore were spent on formal campaigning, which was allowed by the Election Commission. The report said. While giving cash directly has been a tradition in India around 10-12% voters acknowledged receiving cash “directly” while around 66% had said that voters around them also received cash for their vote.
Not all were paid in cash, the overall strategy for most of the parties, some were offered promises, including positions and patronage,” the report said.
About 10 percent acknowledged that the candidate of the party in power had promised a job if voted again to power,” voters were lured with various offers for their vote. Benefits were offered as if a party comes to power, including pension, school education, annual benefits, house construction, job guarantee, etc. the report said.
Poll Expenditure
Voters Directly – 20-25% – Rs 12-15,000 crore
Campaign/Publicity – 30-35% – Rs 20-25,000 crore Election
Commission expenditure – 15-20% – Rs 10-12,000 crore
Logistics – 8-10% – Rs 5-6,000 crore
Miscellaneous – 5-10% – Rs 3-6,000 crore
Total – Rs 55-60,000 crore
SOURCE: Poll Expenditure: The 2019 Elections/Centre for Media Studies, New Delhi. Deccan Herald.