Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 6: The Karnataka BJP collected Rs 213.47 crore during the Karnataka Assembly elections 2018 and spent Rs 139.04 crore for elections, reveals a report by Association for Democratic Rights (ADR).
ADR which is a private election watchdog has analysed spending by ten political parties such as BJP, INC, SP, AAP, BSP, CPM, CPI, NCP, AIADMK and AIFB. Interestingly, the spending of ruling JD(S) is not included as the details are not available with the Election Commission.
A sum of Rs 187.25 crore has been spent by eight parties analysed by ADR during the elections while the sum collected was Rs 356.04 crore. Of this the funds collected by the political parties at its central headquarters was Rs 269.94 crore and expenditure was Rs 112.14 crore. Karnataka state units have spent Rs 58.01 crore.
While BJP collected and spent the highest amount, Congress collected Rs 104.83 crore and spent Rs 34.49 crore for the election.
The major spending by the political parties was on publicity which amounted to Rs 129.72 crore followed by Rs 30.06 crore on travel, Rs 17.84 crore was paid to candidates and Rs 9.63 crore was for miscellaneous expenses.
Meanwhile, expenditure statements provided by NCP, AIADMK and Forward Bloc highlights zero expenditure at the central or at the state unit level despite the parties contesting in the election in Karnataka.
BJP’s maximum expense was for publicity which was Rs 122.68 crore which forms 72.01 per cent of its total expense. Congress spent Rs 23.79 crore.
Under publicity, all parties spent a huge chunk of funds for media advertisements which amounted to Rs 106.36 crore.
The star campaigners cost the political parties Rs 27.86 crore.
The ADR in its report has demanded all political parties submit their expenditure statements in the format prescribed by the Election Commission within the due deadline. Parties that fail the deadline should be penalized, it stated.
ADR also writes that names of donors who contribute to national and regional parties for election campaigns must be declared, irrespective of amount donated.
The ADR has noted that several political parties have not filed statements in the prescribed format.