Election Commission raises expenditure limit for candidates in polls - Read details

Ahead of the Assembly polls in five states, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced the revised maximum expenditure ceilings for candidates contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. According to ECI, the revised expenditure limits will be applicable in all upcoming elections.

As per the new cap announced by ECI, the maximum expenditure limit for candidates in Lok Sabha elections has been raised from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 95 lakh, while for Assembly elections it has been raised from Rs 28 lakh to Rs 40 lakh.

For the small states, the expenditure limit for Lok Sabha elections has been raised from Rs 54 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, while for Assembly elections it has been increased from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 28 lakh. The revised limits have been notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Legislative Department.

This announcement comes just days before the likely announcement of the schedule for upcoming Assembly polls in five states namely Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The last major revision in the election expenditure limit for candidates was done in 2014, which was further increased by 10% in 2020. 

The Election Commission had formed a committee comprising retired IRS officer Harish Kumar, EC Secretary General Umesh Sinha, and Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, to study the cost factors and other related issues, and make suitable recommendations.

This committee invited suggestions from political parties, Chief Electoral Officers and Election Observers before reaching to any conclusions.