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Ceiling of expenditure by candidates raised
New Delhi, Oct 21: Taking a `practical` view of poll expenses incurred by individual candidates, the Union Cabinet today decided to raise the ceiling of expenditure by them for Lok Sabha elections from Rs 15 to Rs 25 lakh and those for the coming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from Rs 6 to Rs 10 lakh.
New Delhi, Oct 21: Taking a "practical" view of poll expenses incurred by individual candidates, the Union Cabinet today decided to raise the ceiling of expenditure by them for Lok Sabha elections from Rs 15 to Rs 25 lakh and those for the coming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from Rs 6 to Rs 10 lakh.
The ceiling for election expenses for candidates contesting for Delhi Assembly polls will go up from Rs 5 to Rs 9 lakh while that for Mizoram will be raised from Rs 3 to Rs 5 lakh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters after the cabinet meeting where the decisions were taken.
The notification for raising the poll expenditure limit for the Lok Sabha and assemblies in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Mizoram would be issued shortly for the benefit of candidates in the five states which go polls in six weeks.
"With the raising of the ceiling of expenditure for parliamentary constituencies as well as assembly constituencies will make the election expenses more realistic and practical," Swaraj said.
In another decision related to elections, the Cabinet decided to amend the Delimitation Act, 2002 to carry out delimitation of constituencies on the basis of 2001 census instead of 1991 census.
The Cabinet decision to raise the poll expenses limit follows a suggestion from the Election Commission to that effect for parliamentary constituencies and assembly constituencies with suitable adjustments in case of smaller states.
Other than Jammu and Kashmir, the move would entail amendments to rule 90 of the conduct of elections rules, 1961 by issuance of an executive notification. The last review of the maximum limit of election expenses was done in 1997. "Since then the value of rupee has considerably declined and the price index has gone up," Swaraj said referring to the suggestions made by the EC to raise the ceiling.
In case of Jammu and Kashmir, this would be done by the state government by amending rule 90 of the J&K`s conduct of elections rules 1965 under the powers conferred on the state governments by Section 168 of the J&K Representation of People Act 1957.
The commission had indicated last week that it was examining bringing forth "tougher guidelines" to check overspending by candidates.
Bureau Report
The notification for raising the poll expenditure limit for the Lok Sabha and assemblies in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Mizoram would be issued shortly for the benefit of candidates in the five states which go polls in six weeks.
"With the raising of the ceiling of expenditure for parliamentary constituencies as well as assembly constituencies will make the election expenses more realistic and practical," Swaraj said.
In another decision related to elections, the Cabinet decided to amend the Delimitation Act, 2002 to carry out delimitation of constituencies on the basis of 2001 census instead of 1991 census.
The Cabinet decision to raise the poll expenses limit follows a suggestion from the Election Commission to that effect for parliamentary constituencies and assembly constituencies with suitable adjustments in case of smaller states.
Other than Jammu and Kashmir, the move would entail amendments to rule 90 of the conduct of elections rules, 1961 by issuance of an executive notification. The last review of the maximum limit of election expenses was done in 1997. "Since then the value of rupee has considerably declined and the price index has gone up," Swaraj said referring to the suggestions made by the EC to raise the ceiling.
In case of Jammu and Kashmir, this would be done by the state government by amending rule 90 of the J&K`s conduct of elections rules 1965 under the powers conferred on the state governments by Section 168 of the J&K Representation of People Act 1957.
The commission had indicated last week that it was examining bringing forth "tougher guidelines" to check overspending by candidates.
Bureau Report