Now star campaigners coming to Chandigarh can stay only in a suite costing up to Rs 4,200

While the maximum ceiling for a deluxe double room has been fixed for Rs 3,000, a semi-deluxe double room hired for a leader cannot be more than Rs 2,200. A single bed with AC and without AC can be of maximum Rs 1,100 and Rs 800 respectively.

Interestingly, even a royal suite in Mount View Chandigarh – a hotel run by CITCO, which is mostly preferred by political leaders and other dignitaries, has its cost running over 15,000 per day tariff.

“In Chandigarh, no suite has this tariff rate, maximum ceiling of which is mentioned. Absolutely, when national leaders will be coming, one will have to book a decent hotel,” a political leader from Chandigarh on the condition of anonymity said.

Chandigarh Congress President HS Lucky while speaking to The Indian Express said that the administration should open the UT guest house for stay of national leaders as no other private hotel has suites of Rs 4,200 maximum tariff.

“If they want that the candidate should follow the maximum tariff or ceiling fixed by them, they should open the UT guest house instead of saying that code of conduct is there because private hotels will make the most of it. Even Mount view has a suite of 15,000 per day, so what administration is allowing is not possible,” Lucky said.

As Chandigarh votes on June 1 on the last election phase, visits of several national political leaders are lined up for campaigning in mid-May including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Even to campaign in Himachal Pradesh or Punjab or Haryana, several leaders prefer staying in Chandigarh.

Rs 75 lakh for campaigning

A candidate can spend maximum Rs 75 lakh on his campaigning in Chandigarh, according to the limit set by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

A meeting was held recently by Chandigarh Administration with representatives of all the parties to finalise and fix rates of various commonly used items during election process in pursuance of Compendium of Instructions of Election Expenditure Monitoring issued by ECI.

Senior superintendent of police, additional deputy commissioner, sub divisional magistrate (South) and other officers were also present during the meeting, in which the rate list was circulated too.