EC gets tough on poll expense limit

To ensure compliance with the poll expenditure limit,the Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it mandatory for all candidates to open a separate bank account and make all election-related expenses exclusively from it. The decision has been implemented in the current assembly elections in Bihar. A candidate will have to explain if he or she is found to have met poll expenses from any other source other than the specified account.More significantly,candidature will be cancelled if anybody is found to be spending more than the limit set by ECI. The limit for a Lok Sabha candidate is Rs 25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for an Assembly candidate. Also,for the first time,the Income Tax Department will check the candidate’s source of funds.Chief Electoral Officer of UP Umesh Sinha said the changes were part of an election expenditure monitoring module the commission had introduced to keep a vigil on expenses by candidates and to control illegal cash transactions during elections. Sinha said the module,which was adopted in Bihar,will be used in the Assembly byelections to be held in Lakhimpur and Nidhaulikalan on November 20. Sinha said every candidate will have to open a new bank account at least one day before filing nominations. The account number will be communicated to the returning officer and all money to be spent on electioneering will be deposited in it.The candidate will give a certified copy of a detailed account statement to the District Electoral Officer,along with a statement of the account of expenditure maintained by him. An expenditure monitoring cell comprising officers of Income Tax,Central Excise,Audit and Accounts Departments will be formed for overall monitoring. There will be at least one expenditure micro-observer for each candidate. A surveillance team will keep track of illegal transactions such as distribution of money or liquor to voters.”Any expense borne by a candidate’s relatives,family members and friends would be counted in the candidate’s limit,” Sinha said. However,expenditure made by a political party on the programmes of their star campaigners will not be included in the candidate’s account. But if the party organises any other ordinary canvassing programme where the candidate is present,that expenditure will be counted as the candidate’s.