BHUBANESWAR: The ruling BJD distributed Rs 39.40 crore to party candidates for contesting the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2019.According to the part election expenditure statement submitted by BJD to Election Commission of India (ECI) on July 29, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik received Rs 40 lakh from the party for contesting in two Assembly constituencies while BJD MP from Puri Lok Sabha seat Pinaki Mishra did not receive any fund.
All the 147 candidates of the regional outfit contesting the Assembly elections received Rs 20 lakh each while 20 nominees in fray for Lok Sabha seats received Rs 50 lakh each. BJD candidate from Patkura, former minister Bed Prakash Agarwalla, is also shown in the statement to have received Rs 20 lakh. However, election to the Assembly constituency was deferred after his death and again postponed due to Fani. Bed Prakash’s wife Sabitri Agarwalla was fielded by BJD from Patkura, election for which was held on July 20. She won from the seat by defeating BJP’s Bijay Mohapatra.
The CM contested from two Assembly constituencies Hinjili and Bijepur successfully. He, however, vacated the Bijepur seat from where by-poll is likely to be held soon.
However, BJD has not furnished any data of expenditure on public meetings and other modes of electioneering. The expenditure limit for Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies are Rs 28 lakh and Rs 70 lakh respectively.
As per the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report which was released in May, the BJD received donations of Rs 13.04 crore in the 2017-18 financial year.