The maximum limit of poll expenses for the candidates in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections has increased.
According to a government press release, in case of Lok Sabha polls, the candidates will be allowed to spend maximum Rs. 95 lakh. Earlier the amount was Rs. 70 lakh in 2014. The limit for candidates’ expenses in assembly elections will be Rs. 28 lakh. Earlier, the candidates for assembly elections were allowed to spend maximum Rs. 20 lakh in 2014.
The press release said, the number of voters had increased by 12.3 percent in 2021 as compared to 2014. Besides, the Cost Inflation Index got increased to 317 in 2020-21 from 240 in 2014-15.
As per demands of the political parties, a committee was formed with Harish Kumar (Retd IRS officer), secretary general Umesh Sinha and senior deputy election commissioner Chandrabhusan Kumar under the supervision of the Election Commission of India.
Based on the recommendation of the committee, the limit for the candidates’ poll expenses got increased. A notification in this regard was already issued from the concerned department.
Representative illustration from open source Internet
