The Central government has raised the election expenditure limit for both Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies by around 60 per cent with immediate effect. The spending limit for a Parliamentary constituency in major States, now stands at Rs. 40 lakh as against Rs. 25 lakh earlier. The limit for Assembly constituencies in the major States moves from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 16 lakh.
The upward revisions are understood to have been made on the recommendation of the Election Commission of India taking into consideration the demands of the political parties and inflation of costs since 2007 when the last changes were made. These will be the new enhanced limits to be observed in all four States going to the polls this April-May: Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Poll expense limits are not uniform across the country and vary according to the size, demographics and other factors of the smaller States and Union Territories. Basically, the roughly 60 per cent hike has been applied to whatever were the existing limits in a State. The Union Territory of Puducherry, which also goes to the polls in the same period, will have limits of Rs. 33 lakh for a Parliamentary constituency and Rs. 8 lakh for an Assembly seat.
For the Union Territory of Delhi, the figures are Rs. 40 lakh and Rs. 14 lakh respectively. The changes are contained in a notification from the Union Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department) dated February 23 and are to be “Published in the Gazette of India — Extraordinary Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii) dated the 23rd February 2011.”
The notification is signed by a Joint Secretary and Legislative Counsel of the Law and Justice Ministry.
