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Press Release

Date: 23-06-2015

National and Regional Recognised Parties are equal defaulters in submitting expenditure statements for Assembly Elections


- ADR requests the Election Commission of India to suspend recognition of those parties who have repeatedly defaulted in submitting election expenditure statements for Assembly Elections

- National and Regional recognised parties, if unrecognized, would not be able to enjoy free airtime and subsidized bungalows among other such facilities


New Delhi: Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) lauds the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its notice dated 16th June, 2015 suspending the recognition of National Peoples’ Party (NPP) for failing to submit its election expenditure report for Lok Sabha elections held in 2014, even after multiple reminders were sent by the ECI. This was a much needed step in order to improve not only financial transparency in political parties during elections but also accountability towards the public.

The election expenditure statements of political parties are required to be submitted 75 days after the completion of Assembly elections and 90 days from the date of completion of Lok Sabha elections. It is to be noted that NPP failed to submit its election expenditure statements to the ECI after repeated reminders while not all National and Regional parties submitted their expenditure statements within the specified time limit of 90 days.

Based on the information on the website of the ECI, ADR analysed availability of statements of election expenditure incurred by political parties during Assembly Elections held between 2011 and 2015. For a complete list of recognised parties which contested in the Assembly elections and the status of their submission with the ECI, as on date, kindly refer to the Annexure.

Availability of election expenditure statements of political parties with the Election Commission of India

  • Among the National  Parties, election expenditure statements of BJP and INC are not available for 5 Assembly elections held between 2011 and 2015 followed by CPI defaulting with its submission for 4 Assembly elections and CPI(M) in 1 Assembly election.
  • The availability of election expenditure statements of Regional Parties is equally worrisome where the statements of JD(U) is unavailable for 15 Assembly Elections while that of LJP is unavailable for11 Assembly Elections and election expenditure statements of RSP and Shiv Sena are unavailable for 10 Assembly Elections held between 2011 and 2015.

S. No.

Name of the party

Party code

No. of elections for which the expenditure statements are unavailable

National Parties

1

Bharatiya Janata Party

BJP

5

2

Communist Party of India

CPI

4

3

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

CPI(M)

1

4

Indian National Congress

INC

5

5

Nationalist Congress Party

NCP

2

Regional Parties

6

Aam Aadmi Party

AAP

2

7

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

AIADMK

1

8

All India Forward Block

AIFB

6

9

All India Trinamool Congress

AITC

8

10

All Jharkhand Students Union Party

AJSUP

2

11

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

DMDK

1

12

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

DMK

1

13

Indian National Lok Dal

INLD

2

14

Indian Union Muslim League

IUML

5

15

Janata Dal (Secular)

JD(S)

9

16

Janata Dal (United)

JD(U)

15

17

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party

JKNPP

8

18

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha

JMM

4

19

Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi

JPSS

1

20

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha

JVM

1

21

Kerala Congress (Anri-merger Group)

KC(AMG)

1

22

Lok Janshakti Party

LJP

11

23

Mizoram People’s Conference

MPC

1

24

Muslim League Kerala State Committee

MUL

3

25

Naga People’s Front

NPF

2

26

National People’s Party

NPP

4

27

Pattali Makkal Katchi

PMK

1

28

Rashtriya Janata Dal

RJD

9

29

Rashtriya Lok Dal

RLD

2

30

Revolutionary Socialist Party

RSP

10

31

Shiv Sena

SHS

10

32

Samajwadi Party

SP

9

33

United Democratic Party

UDP

1

34

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P)

UKDP

2

35

Zoram Nationalist Party

ZNP

1

 

Recommendations of ADR

While it is crucial for political parties to submit their expenditure statements for greater financial transparency, it is equally important to file the same within the time limit set by the ECI and endorsed by the Supreme Court of India. The National and Regional Parties should, ideally, lead by example by filing complete and correct statements of expenditure to the ECI well in time for public scrutiny so as to encourage financial transparency.

ADR requests the ECI to issue show-cause notices to those recognised parties which have defaulted in filing their election expenditure statements incurred during Assembly Elections held in the last 5 years.

For a detailed analysis of year-wise list of Assembly elections and status of political parties’ election expenditure submission, please refer to the attached report (English and Hindi versions attached)

For an earlier press release on reminders sent by the ECI to political parties defaulting on submission of election expenditure statements, please refer: http://goo.gl/NUAaKS


Click here for detailed press release:

ADR requests ECI to issue show cause notices to defaulting parties _ English / Hindi