'Expense on elector has gone up 20 times since first general election'

In the first elections, the Government spent Rs.0.60 on an elector, whereas it spent Rs.12 per elector in the 2009 General Elections.

In this May 4, 2013 photo, Electronic Voting Machines are being checked before being dispatched to a polling station in Mysore. A PIB press release on Tuesday said the government spending per elector has gone up 20-fold since the first general election held in 1951-52. Photo: M.A. Sriram

From the first Lok Sabha elections in 1951-52 till the 15 th in 2009, the government's expenditure on an elector has gone up manifold, 20 times to be precise.

In the first elections, the Government spent Rs.0.60 on an elector, whereas it spent Rs.12 per elector in the 2009 General Elections.

Considering expenditure in absolute terms, Rs.10.45 crore was spent in 1951-52, whereas Rs.846.67 Crore was the amount the Government spent for 2009 General Elections.

Cost wise, 2004 General Elections was the heaviest on government exchequer with about Rs.1114 crore spent in the elections. This was the elections when per elector cost was also the highest. The government spent Rs.17 on an elector.

Significantly, there was increase in the election cost by 17.53 per cent vis-à-vis 1999 General Elections even when there was reduction in number of polling stations by 11.26 per cent.

In the first six general elections, cost per elector was less than a rupee, but coming elections saw rapid growth in election expenditure.

Keeping devaluation of money owing to inflation into account, the rise in cost could be attributed to increased level of democratic activities.

More political parties were born, more independents were now participating. Various voter-friendly initiatives like voter awareness campaigns, distribution of voter slip ahead of election date, use of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) for the first time in the general elections 2014, may increase expenditure further but these efforts are focussed at strengthening the very structure and values of democracy, according to Press Information Bureau(PIB).

Costliest election

"This also will be the longest and the costliest general election in the history of the country with the Election Commission of India estimating that the election will cost the exchequer Rs.3,500 crores, excluding the expenses incurred for security and individual political parties", says Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia about the upcoming 16th Lok Sabha elections.

The entire expenditure on actual conduct of elections to the Lok Sabha is borne by the Government of India, but expenditure towards law & order maintenance is born by respective State Governments, PIB press release.