Deekshitula Subrahmanyam Kakinada

TheState Election Commission has prescribed expenditure limits for candidates contesting local body elections to curb the influence of money and muscle power and ensure a level playing field for all contestants, Kakinada District Election Expenditure Observer Garud Sanket Sunil said.

Addressing a training programme for expenditure observers, Flying Squad Teams (FSTs) and Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) at the Collectorate on Wednesday, he stressed the need for strict monitoring of election related expenditure to ensure transparency and impartiality in the electoral process. He directed the teams to coordinate with one another and ensure that candidates strictly adhere to the prescribed expenditure limits and election rules. Explaining the limits for various posts, Sunil said ZPTC candidates could spend up to Rs 8 lakh and MPTC candidates up to Rs 4 lakh. The expenditure limit for sarpanch candidates was fixed at Rs 4 lakh in major gram panchayats and Rs 2.50 lakh in minor gram panchayats. Ward member candidates could spend up to Rs 1 lakh in major gram panchayats and Rs 60,000 in minor gram panchayats. For urban local body elections, the expenditure limit was Rs 20 lakh for municipal chairperson candidates, Rs 10 lakh for Nagar panchayat chairperson candidates and Rs 5 lakh for Nagar panchayat ward member candidates. He said candidates must open a separate bank account for election-related expenditure at the time of filing nominations. All expenses towards campaigning, vehicles, publicity material, rallies and public meetings should be routed through the account in accordance with the rules. Candidates must maintain a daily expenditure register from the date of notification until the declaration of results and preserve all bills, vouchers and receipts for verification.

They must also submit a complete election expenditure statement to the Returning Officer within the prescribed period after the results are announced. The expenditure observer warned that the distribution of cash, liquor, gifts or other articles to influence voters would not be tolerated. SST members were instructed to remain vigilant at check-posts and detect the illegal transportation of cash, liquor and gifts. Flying squads were directed to respond promptly to complaints, conduct inspections and initiate necessary action. He said prior permission was mandatory for election rallies, processions, vehicle campaigns, use of loudspeakers, public meetings, flex banners and other campaign activities. Candidates should obtain the required clearances through the single-window system under the supervision of the Returning Officer and properly account for the expenditure incurred on approved events, including rallies taken out during the nomination process.

District Auditor Suresh Babu explained various aspects of expenditure monitoring, maintenance of records, assessment of campaign expenses, inspection procedures and enforcement of election regulations. Members of the FSTs, SSTs, Model Code of Conduct teams and expenditure monitoring teams attended the training programme.