Press Release: 55% of West Bengal MLAs declare election expenditure less than half of the expenditure limit

8 views

Skip to first unread message

ADR India

unread,

Jul 22, 2016, 2:36:36 AM7/22/16

to national-el...@googlegroups.com, national...@googlegroups.com

Press Release

Dear Friends,

According to Section 78 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, every contesting candidate has to lodge a true copy of his election expenses within 30 days from the date of declaration of result of election, with the District Election Officer in all States and Union Territories.

West Bengal Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analyzed all the election expenditure statements submitted after the West Bengal 2016 Assembly for 294 MLAs. The expenditure limit for the candidates during the West Bengal Assembly elections was Rs. 28 lakhs. Please find below a detailed analysis:

Summary and Highlights of Election Expenses of MLAs from the West Bengal Assembly 2016 Elections

1. Less than 50% of the Limit: Candidates have constantly claimed that the election expenditure limit set is very low. However, based on the election expense declarations of all 294 MLAs analysed from the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections to the CEO, 162 MLAs (55%) have declared election expenses of less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency.

2. Average Election Expenses: Based on the election expense declarations of 294 MLAs from West Bengal Assembly to the CEO, the average amount of money spent by them in the elections is only about Rs 13.39 lakhs, which is 48% of the expense limit.

3. Party-wise Average Election Expenses: The party wise average election expenses shows that the average spending for 211 MLAs from AITC is Rs 13.57 lakhs (49% of the expense limit), for 44 MLAs from INC is Rs 17.57 lakhs (63% of the expense limit), for 26 MLAs from CPI(M) is Rs 7.19 Lakhs (26% of the expense limit), and for 3 MLAs from BJP is Rs 17.10 Lakhs (61% of the expense limit).

4. Top 3 MLAs with highest Election Expenses: The maximum expense of about Rs 25.52 lakhs (91% of the expense limit) has been declared by Apurba Sarkar of INC from Kandi constituency followed by Rajib Banerjee of AITC from Domjur constituency with an expense of Rs 25.33 lakhs (or 90% of the expense limit) and Firdousi Begum of AITC from Sonarpur Uttar constituency with an expense of Rs 24.91 lakhs (or 89% of the expense limit).

5. MLAs with lowest Election Expenses: Jahanara Khan of CPI(M) from Jamuria constituency has declared election expenditure of Rs. 3.25 lakhs followed by Rafikul Islam of CPI(M) from Harirampur Constituency with election expenses of Rs. 4.08 lakhs and Dhirendra Nath Layek of Revolutionary Socialist Party from Chhatna Constituency with election expenses of Rs. 4.29 lakhs.

6. Percentage Breakdown of Funds Received by MLAs:

Summary and Highlights of Election Expenses of Ministers from the West Bengal Assembly Elections, 2016

1. Less than 50% of the Limit: Based on the election expense declarations of all 42 Ministers analysed from West Bengal Assembly, 2016 to the ECI, 22 Ministers (52%) have declared election expenses of less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency.

2. Average Election Expenses: Based on the election expense declarations of all 42 Ministers from West Bengal Assembly 2016 to the ECI, the average amount of money spent by them in the elections is only about Rs 14.39 lakhs, which is 51% of the expense limit.

3. Top 3 Ministers with highest Election Expenses: The maximum expense of about Rs 25.33 Lakhs (90% of the expense limit) has been declared by Rajib Banerjee of AITC from Domjur constituency followed by Rabindra Nath Ghosh of AITC from Natabari constituency with an expense of Rs 22.69 lakhs (or 81% of the expense limit) and Partha Chatterjee of AITC from Behala Paschim constituency with an expense of Rs 22.05 Lakhs (or 79% of the expense limit)

4. Ministers with lowest Election Expenses: James Kujur of AITC from Kumargram (ST) Constituency has declared an election expenditure of Rs. 6.78 lakhs (24% of the expense limit). He is followed by Bachchu Hansda of AITC from Tapan (ST) constituency who has declared election expenditure of Rs. 8.61 lakhs (31% of the expense limit), and Firhad Hakim of AITC from Kolkata Port Constituency with election expenses of Rs. 8.97 lakhs (32% of the expense limit)