CHENNAI: Around 100 candidates who contested the recently concluded Assembly election are yet to submit their election expenditure statements to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Election officials said nearly 3,900 of the 4,032 candidates who contested the election have submitted their expenditure returns. The accounts are currently being examined by expenditure observers deputed by the ECI from various States.
The Commission has set strict timelines for the submission of election expenditure accounts and is expected to issue notices to candidates who fail to file their returns within the stipulated period.
Officials said candidates who do not submit their expenditure statements by July 3 could face disqualification from contesting future elections. Under election rules, the Commission can bar defaulting candidates from contesting polls for up to three years.
The ECI had prescribed an expenditure ceiling of Rs 40 lakh for each candidate in Assembly elections, while the spending limit for Parliamentary elections is Rs 90 lakh.
In the recently concluded Assembly election, a total of 4,032 candidates contested across the State's 234 constituencies. Of them, 3,579 were men and 443 were women. Nearly half of the contestants were independents.
Election officials said candidates who fail to submit their accounts within the prescribed period would first be served notices seeking an explanation for the delay.
"The response submitted by the candidate will be examined by the Commission. If the explanation is found satisfactory, appropriate relief may be granted. Otherwise, action can be initiated under the relevant provisions of election law," an official said.
Officials also pointed out that expenditure monitoring is a key component of the electoral process, aimed at ensuring transparency and adherence to the Election Commission's prescribed spending limits.