Bharatiya Janata Party leader and MP Gopinath Munde on Thursday admitted that he incurred Rs. 8 crore as election expenses during the 2009 Parliamentary polls.
He was speaking at a book launch function where he, along with former BJP president Nitin Gadkari, was a guest of honour.
Also present was Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Munde urged Mr. Modi to retrieve black money stashed away in bank accounts abroad in the event the latter becoming Prime Minister.
“If Mr. Modi succeeds in doing that, then he need not levy Income Tax on the people for the next five years,” Mr. Munde said.
“When I first contested the elections to the Maharashtra Assembly in 1980, my expense was Rs. 9,000, of which Rs. 7,000 was borne by the party. But my expenditure in the last elections [2009 Lok Sabha polls] was Rs. 8 crore.” He hoped no Election Commission official was present among the audience. Even if an Election Commission authority was present, he said, only six more months remained for the Lok Sabha polls.
Disgraced Congress Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is already in the dock over phoney representation of his election expenses.
The Election Commission of India had issued notices in 2011 after Mr. Chavan submitted a paltry sum as poll expense, despite having paid various newspapers for favourable coverage of his campaign.
