The election expenses of all MLAs for the recent 5 assembly elections have been analysed. The candidates were to declare all of them within 30 days of election(by 13 June). It took ECI another week to put the scanned copies of them on the web (Jun 20). Please find attached a national level high level analysis of these election expense declarations along with the separate reports of Assam. kerala, Puducherry,Tamil and West Bengal. There are still 2 days for people to critically analyse these expenses and challenge election of a MLA on under-reporting/hiding expenses.
FAQs on Election Petition and Election Expenses
Although the money power was blatantly at display during the recent elections, the new MLAs to these assemblies (TN, WB, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry) have shown the average amount of total money spent in their election to be only between Rs 3.12 lakhs and Rs 9.39 lakhs (39% and 59% of the limit) in their declarations to the Election Commission of India.
Why Election Expenses are important?
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An analysis of expense statements of all newly elected MLAs is being done for the first time ever within the deadline of 45 days(from the date of declaration of results) during which the election of a candidate can be challenged on grounds of under-declaration of election expenses.
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Since these results were declared on 13 May, the last date of such a challenge through an election petition will be 28 July.
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As per section 81 of the Representation of People's Act, any candidate or voter can file an election petition. Citizens (including candidates who contested the elections) are encouraged to scrutinize these reports and file petitions where MLAs may have under reported their election expenses.
Highlights of the Analysis of Election Expenses of MLAs of 5 Assemblies:
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Although the money power was blatantly at display during the recent elections, the new MLAs to these assemblies (TN, WB, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry) have shown the average amount of total money spent in their election to be only between Rs 3.12 lakhs and Rs 9.39 lakhs (39% and 59% of the limit) in their declarations to the Election Commission of India.
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Every political party has been forcefully asking Election Commission to increase the expense limit, only 32 MLAs out of 746 analysed have declared that the money spent by them was more than 80% of the limit (Expense limit is Rs 16 Lakhs for TN, AS, WB & Kerala and Rs 9 Lakhs for Puducherry). These include MLAs from all the parties. 403 MLAs have in fact declared expenses less than 50% of the limit set by ECI. No MLA has declared they spent more than the limit.
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The cash seized by ECI's expenditure observers reached record levels in the last elections, with more than Rs 60 crores seized just from Tamil Nadu, but the MLAs have declared their average money spent in the elections to be very low: Assam – Rs 9.01 Lakhs (126 MLAs), Kerala – Rs 9.39 Lakhs (139 MLAs), West Bengal – Rs 7.06 Lakhs (217 MLAs) and Tamil Nadu – Rs 7.12 Lakhs (234 MLAs), Puducherry – Rs 3.12 Lakhs (39 MLAs)
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MLAs in these assemblies claim that the money spent by them in the recent elections on an average was way below the expense limit. It is 56% for Assam, 50% for Kerala, 39% for Puducherry, 44% for West Bengal and only 45% for Tamil Nadu.
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In just one raid, Rs 5.11 crore were seized from a private bus in Tiruchirappalli. In another raid in Madurai, Rs 3.5 Crores were seized, however the highest expenses reported by any MLAs is mere Rs 15.99 lakhs.The top three declarations across the 5 assemblies are from Abu Taher Bepari of INC from Golakganj, Assam(Rs 15.99 lakhs), Smiti Monika Bora of INC from Gohpur, Assam (Rs 15.91 lakhs) and K.T. Pachaimal of AIADMK from Kanniyakumari, TN(Rs 15.73 lakhs).
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The lowest expenses declared are by A Soundararajan of CPI(M) from Perambur, TN (Rs 75.6 thousand) followed by Namita Saha of AITC from Magrahat Purba, WB(1.14 Lakhs) and Kashinath Mishra of AITC from Bankura, WB(Rs 1.35 Lakhs). This is in spite of reports of large number of reports of distrubtion of freebies from across the states.
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Expense on Public Meetings and Processions: 76 MLAs declared that they did not spend ANY money on public meetings, processions etc. This is inspite of each party and candidate claiming huge crowds in their rallies during elections.
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Expense on Campaigning through electronic/print media: While there was huge discussion on paid news, most MLAs (376 of them) have declared that they did not spend ANY money on campaign through electronic/print media.
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Expense on Campaign Workers: Out of the 746 MLAs analyzed of all the 5 states, 183 MLAs declared that they have not spent ANY money on campaign workers.
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Expense on Vehicles Used: While most vehicles are found to be rented during elections and candidates travel in large cavalcades, 8 MLAs have declared that they did not spend ANY money on vehicles.
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Expense on Campaign Materials and Erection of gates, arches etc.: 10 MLAs have declared that they did not spend ANY money on any type of campaign materials.
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National Election Watch demands that the ECI should thoroughly investigate all the election expense declaration and particularly of those candidates who have declared no expenses on use of vehicles, campaign material, public meetings, campaign workers and print/electronic media to check the verity of these disclosures.
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National Election Watch also exhorts citizens and other candidates to critically look through these expense statements and in case of under declaration/hiding of expenses, challenge the election of these MLAs by filling election petitions.
State-wise Winners Election Expense Reports
Combined Election Expense Analysis of MLAs of all 5 Assemblies ( pdf ) |
Assam's MLAs Election Expense Analysis ( pdf ) |
West Bengal's MLAs Election Expense Analysis ( pdf ) |
Tamil Nadu's MLAs Election Expense Analysis ( pdf ) |
Kerala's MLAs Election Expense Analysis ( pdf ) |
Puducherry's MLAs Election Expense Analysis ( pdf ) |
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Contact Details of Upcoming Assemblies State Coordinators
The contact details of the National Election Watch state chapters and corresponding election dates are given below:
State |
Election Watch |
Contact details |
Election Dates |
Assam | Mr. Tasaduk Ariful Hussain | E: [email protected] , T: 91-361-2338888, M: +91 9435054775 |
1st Phase: 4th April 2nd Phase: 11th April |
Kerala | Mr. T. Ravindran |
E: [email protected] , M: +91 9349333458 |
Single phase: 13th April |
Pondicherry | Mr. Victor | E: [email protected] , M: +91 9486086938 | Single phase: 13th Apri |
Tamil Nadu |
Dr. Sudarshan Padmanabhan Mr. A.L. Rangarajan Mr. C. Peter Rex Charly |
E: [email protected] , M: +91 9444782793 E: [email protected] T: 044-22235133, +919444971268 E: [email protected] M: 98947-39694/ 99449-39694 |
Single phase: 13th April |
West Bengal | Mr. Biplab Halim |
E: [email protected] , T: 033-24836491, 24725571, M: +91 98371124736 |
1st phase: 18th April 2nd phase: 23rd Apri 3rd phase: 27th April 4th phase: 3rd May 5th phase: 7th May 6th phase: 10th May |