SEC may hike expenditure limit for polls

New Delhi: The Delhi State Election Commission (SEC) is likely to enhance the expenditure limit for candidates for the upcoming municipal polls. Sources in the commission said that after considering all the aspect, a new maximum ceiling for poll expenditure will be fixed and announced accordingly.

In the 2012 civic polls, the poll expenditure limit was increased to Rs 4 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh per candidate. A senior official in SEC said that the poll body believed that the cost of everything has increased and it will be unfair to ask candidates to contest the elections at the old rates.

“New ceiling for poll expenditure for each candidate will be fixed or increased after considering all factors including inflation and revised upper limit for poll expenditure for candidate contesting Parliament and state Assembly elections. A suitable formula will be found out to fix the upper limit of expenditure allowed to candidates contesting municipal elections,” he said.

The elections for the three civic bodies — North, East, and South Delhi Municipal Corporations — are held in April. According to the existing cap on poll expenditure, a candidate contesting Lok Sabha election in bigger states and Delhi can spend up to Rs 70 lakh. Earlier, the limit for Lok Sabha election was Rs 40 lakh. Similarly, a contestant for Assembly election is allowed to spend a maximum of Rs 28 lakh in the national capital though in smaller states, the ceiling is Rs 20 lakh.

“Rs 4 lakh cap was fixed for municipal election in 2012 when the MP and MLA election expenditure used to be Rs 40 lakh and Rs 14 lakh respectively. We will keep all these factors in mind including inflation rate over the years while deciding on the hike to be allowed,” the official said. The political parties have always strongly demanded an increase in the poll expenditure limit.