CPM affidavit doesn’t mention DMK donation

The DMK’s Lok Sabha election expenditure affidavit submitted to the Election Commission has put its alliance partners CPI(M) and CPI in a tight spot.

As per the affidavit submitted on September 20, the DMK has given Rs 10 crore to CPI(M) and Rs 15 crore to CPI which were allotted two seats each in Tamil Nadu by the major alliance partner DMK. Interestingly, this Rs 10 crore donation from the DMK is not reflected in the CPI(M)’s affidavit to the Election Commission.

The CPI(M) had submitted the first expenditure affidavit on July 10 and on September 13 the party claimed that its total election expenditure across India is around Rs 7.2 crore in their last affidavit. The CPI has not yet submitted their affidavit to the Election Commission.

According to the DMK’s affidavit, it had given Rs 10 crore to the CPI(M) through bank transfer in three installments on April 5, 8 and 9. The DMK transferred Rs 15 crore to the CPI through bank in two installments on April 5 and 16. The DMK also gave Rs 15 crore to one of their regional alliance partners Kongu Nadu Democratic Party, which was allotted one seat in Lok Sabha elections from the DMK-led alliance.

It is interesting to note that the DMK’s self-declared total expenditure is Rs 79.26 crore including the above mentioned total Rs 40 crore donations to its alliance partners. The DMK won 22 seats in Tamil Nadu. The CPI(M) in its expenditure affidavit showed around Rs 82 lakh as receipts from Coimbatore and Madurai constituencies, while the DMK’s affidavit claims they have given Rs 10 crore.

Bare study of affidavits filed by parties shows that all of them are trying to tally with the maximum expenditure limit of Rs 70 lakh per Lok Sabha constituency specified by the Election Commission. Major parties BJP and Congress have not yet submitted their affidavits. As per the Aam Aadmi Party’s affidavit, their total expenditure is Rs 1.3 crore only. However, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which contested only in Odisha (along with Assembly election) shown Rs 227.79 crore as their expenses. They also filed an earlier affidavit (part expenditure) of Rs 39.7 crore.

The NCP showed Rs 72.35 crore and earlier affidavit of Rs 11 crore as their expenditure during the Lok Sabha election. The BSP declared their expenditure as Rs 55.39 crore and the Samajwadi Party declared its expenditure as just Rs 5.5 crore. The Trinamool Congress declared Rs 83.6 crore and Rs 10 core in two affidavits. The AIADMK declared around Rs 20 crore as their entire expenditure. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRP declared Rs 86.15 crore as their expenses in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections of 2019. The JD(U) declared Rs 10.71 crore as their expenditure in the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP and Congress, which contested in majority seats, are yet to declare their expenditure to the Election Commission and it is learned that their chartered accountants are busy with preparation of the expenses in co-ordination with their State units.