The 2019 Lok Sabha election would go down as a watershed election as the election expenditure escalated to ₹55,000 crore from ₹9,000 crore in 1998 raising concerns about future of democracy in India, chairman of Centre for Media Studies, Delhi, N. Bhaskar Rao said.
Releasing the Post Election Review Report in an event organised by Election Watch, Telangana and other NGOs here on Monday, Mr. Rao said the estimated election expenditure was studied in 29 States. About 20% to 25% of the poll expenditure i.e. about ₹12,000 crore to ₹15,000 crore was cash given to voters directly. About 30% to 35% of the expenditure (₹20,000 crore to ₹25,000 crore) was on campaign and publicity and the formal expenditure by the Election Commission for election arrangements was about 15% to 20% (₹10,000 crore to ₹12,000 crore).
In Telangana, CMS estimated the expenditure for the Assembly polls in December 2018 at ₹5,000 crore and about ₹400 crore for 16 MP seats in April 2019. In AP, for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held together, ₹7,000 crore to ₹9,000 crore were spent by parties and candidates.
High expenditure
Interestingly, some constituencies in the Telugu States figured among 75 to 85 constituencies across the country that witnessed high poll expenditure by individual candidates. More than ₹100 crore was spent in Chevella, Malkajgiri and Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana and in Kadapa, Anantapur, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur in AP.
Speaking to media persons, Mr. Rao said that corruption in India was linked to growing election expenditure. According to a survey it was found that the citizens were spending close to ₹30,000 crore every year for 18 basic services that they should get free of cost.
What the voters were not realising was the link between taking cash and kind for casting their vote and bribes they had to pay later for availing government services.
It was time government explored ways to conduct elections without spending much. If election expenditure was not moderated, corruption in public life would not come down and make electoral democracy a mockery.
Stern action
Though the election expenditure by Election Commission too went up for the elaborate arrangements and seven phase election, the voter turnout did not increase and in urban areas, it declined raising questions about efficiency of the system. The amended norms for corporate funding to political parties opened floodgates of corruption as there was no transparency. There was no stern initiative from ECI to curb runaway poll expenditure by candidates and no action was taken against cases pending with it, he said.
Coordinator of Election Watch V.V.Rao, Srinivas Reddy of APSA, M.V.Reddy of the MV Foundation and Vuppala Gopala Rao of Praja Aalochana Vedika spoke.