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Campaign costs may cross Rs1,000 crore

DNA estimates indicate an average expenditure of Rs1 cr per candidate. Official limit for a candidate’s campaign expenses is Rs10 lakh.

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Between them, the four main political parties in Maharashtra are likely to spend over Rs1,000 crore in their quest for power in the state, estimates by DNA have indicated.

Of this, close to Rs600 crore is expected to be spent on campaigning by candidates, around Rs400 crore on public rallies and travel expenses of star campaigners, and Rs10 crore in pacifying rebels. This is in addition to Rs200 crore that the state government will spend on conducting the polls.

Going by what election managers and nominees have been privately admitting, each candidate is on an average expected to spend around Rs1 crore as campaign expenses. The official limit is Rs10 lakh per candidate.

For 576 candidates from the four big parties — Congress (174), NCP (114), Shiv Sena (169) and BJP (119) — the total works out to around Rs600 crore.

“I have set aside Rs1 crore to reach out to people in my constituency in western Maharashtra,” admitted a senior state cabinet minister from the Congress. “But a couple of crores more would be spent to pacify individuals or groups out to ruin my chances.”
A young BJP corporator contesting from Mumbai said, “I have arranged for financiers who will provide me with Rs1-1.5 crore for my campaign.”

A Shiv Sena aspirant from Thane district was asked by his party if he could organise Rs2 crore to challenge his Congress-NCP rival.

Apart from individual spends, every political party is learnt to have a separate corpus of around Rs100 crore, which is primarily spent on public rallies and travel costs of star campaigners. Add to this miscellaneous costs of Rs10-15 crore incurred on covert financing of smaller parties or individuals out to play spoilsport, and the campaign costs topple the Rs1,000 crore mark.

“You cannot discount the money factor. Big money comes from industrial houses. In the backdrop of recession, the ruling combine clearly has an edge over the opposition in money matters,” says BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde.

Campaign managers say organising a big public rally costs between Rs50 lakh and Rs1 crore. In rural areas, people who turn up from distant villages demand Rs500 for “chai-pani” and travelling in luxury buses, they say.

According to senior Congress leader Anant Gadgil, “The election commission ceiling of Rs10 lakh per candidate per constituency is not practical.” He, however, admitted that “honest people are sidelined” as money power plays a significant role in politics.

Gadgil said the election code of conduct bars use of posters and banners, and the money is spend on behind-the-doors deals. Also, candidates have to travel extensively to strike a rapport with people, he said, adding that almost 40% of expenditure is incurred on travelling and fuel.

NCP’s campaign manager Prakash Bhinsale said the party has to hire at least two helicopters to help party leaders, including Sharad Pawar, campaign across the state. “Only then can he manage five to six rallies a day,” he said.

The BJP and the Congress have also booked two helicopters each for the entire campaign period. The hourly tariff for a helicopter is between Rs60,000 and Rs75,000.

All parties have leaders who are ready to loosen purse strings. Congress insiders say chief minister Ashok Chavan and Union industries minister Vilasrao Deshmukh are expected to make provisions for funds for at least 20 to 25 candidates, who, in turn, will support them for the top slot after the polls.

State industries minister Narayan Rane will help his loyalists in Konkan and Pune.
Similarly, Gopinath Munde is expected to back his candidates in Mumbai and Marathwada. In the NCP, water resources minister Ajit Pawar is likely to fund individuals to bridge the additional costs in western Maharashtra.

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