KOCHI: The nodal officer for Ernakulam bypoll has announced that the expenditure of each candidate should not exceed Rs 28 lakh. Once the expenses exceed the limits set for campaign spending, he/she will be disqualified.
The Election Commission’s observer for monitoring election expenses will monitor the spending of each candidate on posters, campaigning, graffiti, boards and hoardings. The video surveillance team will record the proceedings while the flying squad will monitor the financial deals. The statistics surveillance team is to be in charge of cash transactions.
“List of expenses will also include the spending on campaign office, office furniture, microphone and computer. We have started monitoring exercise as the candidates’ list was finalised on Thursday,” said nodal officer G Hari Kumar. He also said the political party representatives or candidates should inform the Election Commission’s observer for monitoring the election before booking halls and auditorium for campaigns and meetings.
The Election Commission has also published a list clearly mentioning the usage of materials for election campaign and the amount that it will levy on them. As per the list, the rent for a chair is Rs 6 a day. If party workers are provided meals, Rs 80 is to be charged per person. If umbrellas with stickers are given to party supporters, Rs 150 per umbrella is to be charged. The cost of using a speaker with an amplifier is Rs 1,500, a microphone with a stand is Rs 250 and Rs 250 for CD player. The rent of other items will be calculated as: LCD projector - Rs 1,500 per day; LED TV- Rs 1,500; water coolers-Rs 1,500 a day.
For 1,000 posters, the commission will peg the expense at Rs 4,500, while Rs 10,000 will be added to the candidate’s expense as rent for a 500-seater hall. For a hall with a lesser capacity, the rent will be pegged at Rs 6,000. SMS campaigns will be calculated at 25 paise per message. For a vehicle rally of the candidates, the expenses will be calculated at Rs 1,000 per person for a day.
The Election Commission has also instructed banks to inform the Income Tax Department and Election Commission’s observer for monitoring all those transactions above Rs 10 lakh.The list of expenses has already been issued to the candidates.
Cash transactions
The Election Commission has instructed banks to inform the Income Tax Department and Election Commission’s observer for monitoring all those transactions above I10 lakh
Candidates’ social media activities to be monitored
Kochi: The Election Commission has instructed candidates to use social media with utmost care for election campaigning. Social media posts of candidates are to be strictly monitored by the Media Certifying and Monitoring Committee. The candidates cannot publish/post requests for votes and advertisement campaigns which are not approved by the committee. If any such posts are identified, it would be immediately handed over to Expenditure Monitoring Committee.
“If any news which has the characteristics of paid/advertisement is published in the media, it would be added to the expenditure list of candidates. Certification is mandatory for posters, advertisement campaigns through cinema theatres and print and visual media,“ said Election Commission’s observer for Ernakulam by-polls Madhvi Kataria.