Under-reporting of poll expenses a norm in TN: Study

The elected MPs from Tamil Nadu declared average expenses of only Rs 35 lakh as against the EC fixed limit of Rs 70 lakh in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms’ report. AIADMK’s Pollachi MP C Mahendran declared the highest expense of Rs 64.39 lakh while his party’s Tiruvannamalai MP R Vanaroja submitted the lowest expense of Rs 5.48 lakh.

Sources in the DMK and AIADMK told DT Next that expense for making the party cadre and office-bearers at the grass root level to engage in the campaign across the Parliamentary constituency is many times more than the expense recorded by the election observers. “During the campaign, payments would be made on a weekly basis to the party office-bearers at panchayat or ward level for the election expenses. It is basically to ensure that the cadre engage in the campaign full time,” a senior DMK leader said.

A senior AIADMK leader said that expense per cadre per day would range from Rs 500 to Rs 750 depending on whether it is a rural or urban area. “The expense is basically for food, petrol and other expenditures, including liquor,” the leader said, adding that not all the cadres would seek money but those who give up their daily work to campaign for the party.

A minimum of Rs 6 crore should be spent per LS seat for the campaign, the leader noted. The major expense accounted by the EC expenditure observers would be the campaign materials like pamphlets, public meeting expenditure, door-to-door campaign, vehicles used for the campaign, he said. Party sources said that the expenditure on cash for votes dependent on the number of targeted voters and amounts per head to be paid.

A Left party leader said that their election expense would be well within the EC fixed limits. “Unlike other parties, we need not spend money on our cadre. But we would be forced to spend on food and bear petrol expense of the cadre of alliance parties,” the Left leader said. An Election Commission official said that two expenditure observers have been appointed for each of 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu to keep tab on the expenditures of the candidates. “The observers would submit their own account of each candidate’s expenditures. In case of variations between the account submitted by the candidate and the observer, the candidate would be asked to explain. If not, no action would be taken,”the official said.