The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is way ahead of other political parties as far as campaign expenditure is concerned. The party has spent more than Rs 30.5 lakh. The SAD has spent more than Rs 15 lakh since the elections were declared in the state on January 8. All the political parties have spent Rs 60.59 lakh in their election campaign till January 31. The expenditure will be counted in the accounts of the political parties until the candidates file their nomination papers. According to officials of the district electoral office, the AAP has spent a total of Rs 30.47 lakh in three constituencies: Mohali, Kharar and Dera Bassi. The party’s maximum expenditure is in Dera Bassi constituency where it has spent Rs15.16 lakh, followed by Rs10.87 lakh in Mohali and Rs4.43 lakh in Kharar. The party has fielded transporter Kuljeet Singh Randhawa in Dera Bassi, realtor Kulwant Singh in Mohali, and singer-turned-politician Anmol Gagan Mann in Kharar. The SAD has spent a total of Rs15.88 lakh in the three constituencies, including Rs10.50 lakh in Dera Bassi, Rs3.94 lakh in Kharar, and Rs1.44 lakh in Mohali. The party has fielded builder and sitting MLA NK Sharma from Dera Bassi, builder Ranjeet Singh Gill from Kharar, and Parminder Singh Sohana from Mohali. The Congress is at the third place with the party spending Rs 5.40 lakh in three constituencies, including Rs 4.75 lakh in Mohali and Rs 61,164 in Dera Bassi. The expenditure of Kharar constituency has not been counted yet. The party had fielded former cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu from Mohali, Deepinder Singh Dhillon from Dera Bassi and liquor businessman and District Planning Committee’s chairman Vijay Sharma from Kharar. The BJP has spent Rs 4.58 lakh on the elections so far with a maximum expenditure of Rs 3.87 lakh in Dera Bassi and Rs 71,060 from Mohali. The maximum election expenditure is reported in Dera Bassi constituency with all the parties spending Rs 30.19 lakh, followed by Rs 22.02 lakh in Mohali and Rs 8.38 lakh in Kharar.
