Election Commission ups expenditure cap to Rs 10 lakh for BMC poll candidates

The State Election Commission on Wednesday doubled the election expenditure limit for candidates contesting the Brihanumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, as well as for those contesting corporation elections in 'A category' cities, hiking the cap from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The expenditure limit for canidates contesting elections for municipal corporation polls with 151 seats or more has been fixed at Rs 10 lakh.

This includes the Pune civic body. The corporations with 116 to 150 seats, such as Thane, Nagpur and Nashik will have a cap of Rs 8 lakh.

The corporations with 86 to 115 seats will have an expenditure cap of Rs 7 lakh. For those having 85 or less number of seats, the cap will be Rs 5 lakh. The expense limit for Zilla Parishad polls has also been raised to 6 lakh (71 to 75 wards), five lakh (61-70 wards) and four lakh (50-60 wards).

"The proposal aimed to make the bar more scientific and rational, taking crucial factors like geography and population of the cities and districts into account," said JS Saharia, State Election Commissioner.