BENGALURU: The upcoming MLC poll could be called the election of ‘moneybags’. The Big 3 are looking for a Richie Rich candidate who can splurge Rs 20-30 crore to win the election. Proof lies in the list of outgoing candidates -- they are either wealthy businessmen or realtors, extremely wealthy High Networth Individuals whose election affidavits bear out their super-rich financial status.
No matter which party they belong to — BJP, Congress or JDS —all candidates have deep pockets. At closed-door meetings, aspirants are asked point-blank, if they can “afford it”. Which raises the point: why do they need that kind of money? This is an election where the voters are mostly elected members of gram panchayats and elected local bodies, and the going rate is Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per vote.
Various sources TNIE spoke to confirmed the amounts, and for a win, it means Rs 20 crore or thereabouts, depending on the amount paid. More than 80-90 per cent of the electorate consists of Gram Panchayat members. After the win, how do they earn back this cash? The winner, who has ploughed in a big amount of money, would seek to earn it through contracts and other largesse of the ruling party, which is the reason why there is so much pressure on the ruling party. The opposition Congress and JDS will find the going tough, which is why the two parties may not do well.
Former IIM dean Prof Trilochan Shastry, and current chairman of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which seeks to end corruption in politics, said, “They should find people who are wise, qualified and interested in public service. Wealth cannot be the only method of selecting candidates.’’
Political analyst BS Murthy said, “Those who get elected from local bodies are an exclusive group of millionaires. The extremely affluent see this as a shortcut to power. Polls to these 25 seats will see unhindered flow of money and gifts offered to voters.” The Congress and JDS could end up as the biggest gainers and their tally could go past the 40-mark, giving them a majority in the 75-member House.