Press Release: Analysis of Election Expenditure statements of MLAs from the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022

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Press Release

Date: May 12, 2023

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. Gujarat Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed all 182 election expenditure statements submitted after the Gujarat Assembly Election 2022 for newly elected MLAs. The expenditure limit for the MLAs during the Gujarat Assembly elections was Rs. 40 lakhs. These election expense documents include details of expenses on public meetings and processions, campaigning through electronic and print media, expense on campaign workers, expense on vehicles used, expense on virtual campaign, expense on publishing of declaration regarding criminal cases and expense on campaign materials.

The full reports in English and Hindi can be accessed here: https://adrindia.org/content/analysis-election-expenditure-statements-mlas-gujarat-assembly-elections-2022

Recommendations:

1. Each Winner is required to file his election expenditure statement within 30 days of the results of the elections, the deadline in case of the Gujarat Assembly Elections being the 8^th January 2023. However, it was observed that the election expenditure statements of the Winners were not uploaded on the CEO/DEO’s website till significantly after the deadline. It is recommended that the Abstract Expenditure Statement (Annexure E2) of the MLAs is uploaded on the website of the CEO within 72 hours of the receipt of the statement.

2. The deadline for filing an election petition against any Winner is 45 days after the declaration of the results. Generally, MLAs submit their election expenditure statements towards the end of the 30 days given for submission of the statements. This leaves 15 days for any common citizen to file an election petition against any Winner. The deadline for filing an election petition should be increased in order to give the citizens time to scrutinize the election expenditure statements of the MLAs and gather the relevant documents/proof etc. for the election petition.

3. As has been instated in the filing of affidavits during the elections, the MLAs should not be allowed to keep any field blank on the Abstract Election Expenditure statement (Annexure E2) and Schedule 1 to 11. The statements must be filled in a legible format and overwriting of amounts in the statement should be discouraged.

Summary and Highlights of Election Expenses of MLAs from the Gujarat Assembly 2022 Elections

1. Less than 50% of the Limit: Out of 182 MLAs analysed, 23 (13%) MLAs have declared election expenses less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency.

2. Average Election Expenses: Based on the election expense declarations of 182 MLAs from Gujarat Assembly, the average amount of money spent by them in the elections is Rs 27.10 lakhs, which is 68% of the expense limit.

3. Party-wise Average Election Expenses: The party wise average election expenses shows that the average spending for 156 MLAs from BJP is Rs.27.94 lakhs (69.9% of the expense limit). For 17 MLAs from INC, the average election expenditure is Rs.24.92 lakhs (62.3% of the expense limit), the average election expenditure for 5 MLAs from AAP is Rs.15.63 lakhs (39.1% of the expense limit), the election expenditure for 1 MLA from SP is Rs.6.87 lakhs (17.2% of the expense limit) and 3 Independent MLAs have spent Rs.21.59 lakhs (54% of the expense limit).

Figure: Party-wise Average Election Expenses (Rs.in lakhs)

4. Top 3 MLAs with highest Election Expenses: The details of top 3 MLAs who have declared highest election expenses are given below:

S.No.	Name	District	Constituency	Party	Expense Limit (Rs.)	Total expenses incurred (Rs.)	% of limit reached
S.No.	Name	District	Constituency	Party	Expense Limit (Rs.)	Total expenses incurred (Rs.)	% of limit reached
1	Dr.Jayrambhai Chemabhai Gamit	Tapi	Nizar (St)	BJP	40,00,000 40 Lacs+	38,65,298 38 Lacs+	97%
2	Thakor Laxmanji Punjaji (Bakaji)	Gandhinagar	Kalol-Gandhinagar	BJP	40,00,000 40 Lacs+	37,78,689 37 Lacs+	94%
3	Kiritsinh Sardarsang Dabhi	Ahmedabad	Dholka	BJP	40,00,000 40 Lacs+	36,09,614 36 Lacs+	90%

Table: Top 3 MLAs with highest election expenditure

5. MLAs with lowest Election Expenses: The details of 3 MLAs who have declared lowest election expenses are given below:

S.No.	Name	District	Constituency	Party	Expense Limit (Rs.)	Total expenses incurred (Rs.)	% of limit reached
S.No.	Name	District	Constituency	Party	Expense Limit (Rs.)	Total expenses incurred (Rs.)	% of limit reached
1	Kandhalbhai Sarmanbhai Jadeja	Porbandar	Kutiyana	SP	40,00,000 40 Lacs+	6,87,565 6 Lacs+	17%
2	Amit Chavda	Anand	Anklav	INC	40,00,000 40 Lacs+	9,28,895 9 Lacs+	23%
3	Makwana Umeshbhai Naranbhai	Botad	Botad	AAP	40,00,000 40 Lacs+	9,64,289 9 Lacs+	24%

Table: 3 MLAs with lowest election expenditure

6. Expense on Public Meeting, Rally, and Processions with Star Campaigners (other than those for general party propaganda): Out of the 182 MLAs analyzed, 164 (90%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on public meetings, processions etc. with star campaigners (other than those for general party propaganda) and 18 (10%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on public meetings, processions etc. with star campaigners (other than those for general party propaganda).

7. Expense on Public Meeting, Rally, and Processions without Star Campaigners (other than the ones with star campaigners of the political party): All 182 (100%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on public meetings, processions etc. without star campaigners (other than the ones with star campaigners of the political party).

8. Expense on Campaigning through electronic/print media: 97 (53%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on campaigning through electronic/print media and 85 (47%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on campaigning through electronic/print media.

9. Expense on Campaign Workers: 172 (95%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on campaign workers and 10 (5%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on campaign workers.

10. Expense on Campaign Materials: 145 (80%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on campaign materials and 37 (20%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on campaign materials.

11. Expense on Campaign Vehicles: 179 (98%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on campaign vehicles and 3 (2%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on campaign vehicles.

12. Expense on Virtual Campaign: 20 (11%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on virtual campaigns and 162 (89%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on virtual campaigns.

13. Expense on Publishing of Declaration Regarding Criminal Cases: All 40 MLAs (100%) who have declared criminal cases have spent funds on publishing declarations regarding criminal cases.

Figure: Break Down of Elections Expenses Incurred by MLAs

Summary and Highlights of Funds Raised by MLAs in the Gujarat Assembly 2022 Elections

Figure: Percentage Break-down of Funds Raised by MLAs

1. Percentage break-down of funds received by MLAs: Out of the total funds received by MLAs, 77% funds were raised from political parties, 16% were raised by MLAs themselves and 7% funds were raised from other sources.

2. MLAs Who Raised Funds from Political Parties: Out of the 182 MLAs analyzed, 157 (86%) MLAs have declared that they have received funds from political parties and 25 (14%) MLAs have declared that they have not received any funds from political parties.

3. MLAs Who Raised Funds through any person/ company/ firm/ associations/ body of persons etc as loan, gift or donation etc: Out of the 182 MLAs analyzed, 60 (33%) MLAs have declared that they have received funds from any person/ company/ firm/ associations/ body of persons etc as loan, gift or donation etc. and 122 (67%) MLAs have declared that they have not received any funds from any person/ company/ firm/ associations/ body of persons etc as loan, gift or donation etc.

4. Self-funds used for election campaign: Out of the 182 MLAs analyzed, 174 (96%) MLAs have declared that they have used their own funds for their election campaign and 8(4%) MLAs have declared that they have not used any of their own funds for their election campaign

5. Average funds raised from Political Parties (Party-wise): On an average a MLA from BJP raised 77.59% and on an average a MLA from INC raised 89.65% of his/her election expense funds from the political party.

6. Average funds raised through any person/company/firm/associations/body of persons etc as loan, gift or donation etc (Party-wise): On an average a MLA from BJP raised 5.21% of his/her election expense funds from any person/company/firm/associations/body of persons etc. as loan, gift or donation. Similarly, a MLA from INC raised on an average 6.71% of their expense funds from any person/ company/ firm/ associations/ body of persons etc. as loan, gift or donation.

Contact Details

Gujarat Election Watch

Ms Pankti Jog

State Coordinator
+91-9909006791
magpg...@gmail.com

Association for Democratic Reforms/National Election Watch

Media and Journalist Helpline

+91 80103 94248

Email: a...@adrindia.org

Maj.Gen. Anil Verma (Retd)

Head

Association for Democratic Reforms,

National Election Watch