New Delhi: State funding of elections is not
panacea for all ills facing the electoral system, experts,
including Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, said on Saturday.
"Public funding of elections is not the solution. Who
will give guarantee that it will stop the flow of black
money," Quraishi said at a seminar on electoral reforms,
organised by Foundation for Advanced Management of Elections.
He, however, said ceiling for spending in the elections
could be increased from the present level of Rs 25 lakh per
candidate in the Lok Sabha polls.
"We can rationalise the ceiling. The ceiling level can be
increased," he said.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said that the real threat
to the electoral process is coming from the money power.
"State funding is no answer. It will not stop the huge
expenditure," he said.
However, former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalswami
favoured state funding as the best possible solution to the
issue of flow of illegal money into the electoral system.
"Money, gifts, jewellery and other things are distributed
by candidates during election campaign to get votes. State
funding is the best answer to stop such practice," he said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009, 21:15