For the seasoned organisation like the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), Delhi, which has been studying election campaign and election expenditure for the last 20 years, 2019 elections was one that posed several dilemmas.
Estimates of election expenditure in the past included primarily campaign activities undertaken after the Election Commission (EC) notified the poll schedule. But this poll witnessed hectic campaigning a couple of weeks before the EC notification on March 10, 2019.
The estimated ₹55,000 crore to ₹60,000 crore poll expenditure in 2019 was only the ‘’front-end’’ expenditure after the EC notification.
The ‘Other Expenditure’ comprise the one before the notification and those not covered under the code and also to do with the shifts and migration of leaders between parties and for getting nominations. “This cannot be quantified and is much beyond the realm of poll campaign,” said CMS chairman N. Bhaskar Rao. If that is taken into account, the amount would be much higher than that of ₹60,000 crore.
The expenditure that was incurred couple of weeks before the ECI notification was on advertising in media about the initiatives and activities of the government to remind people in the context or eve of poll and directly aimed at key voter segments.
They also had huge poll targeted public meetings and rallies hours before the poll code came into play.
Another unique factor contributing to poll campaign expenditure was biopics of contesting leaders and their trailers timed for the occasion continued, the CMS report noted.
Even media spent, by conservative estimates, ₹200 crore during election campaign period, Mr Rao said. The expenditure was on various opinion polls. One channel claimed that they covered 7.5 lakh people and a systematic polls survey would not cost less than ₹120 crore, he said. It is alleged that political parties get these opinion polls done by the media apparently to impact public perceptions.
Dr. Bhaskar Rao and V.V.Rao, Election Watch, Telangana Coordinator, said the purpose of CMS survey was to sensitise every section of society - people, media, political parties. Without bringing down expenditure, corruption can not be tackled and good governance can not be provided and disparities will increase.
