Punjab MlAs saved money but earned votes. At least 39 percent of the 117 legislators spent half the permissible amount for poll expenditure, yet returned home victorious.
Out of the 117 MlAs analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), as many 46 MlAs have declared election expenses of less than 50 percent of the expense limit — Rs 28 lakh - in their constituency.
Congress party has, to its credit, the highest and the least spenders. Party MlA from Bassi Pathana Gurpreet Singh GP spent the maximum Rs 26.89 lakh during the Punjab assembly elections held in February, while his party colleague and Ajnala MlA Harpartap Singh spent the lowest Rs 4.13 lakh — just 15 percent — in run up to polls.
Congress’ MlAs — Sukhpal Singh Bhullar from Khemkaran and Rakesh Pandey from ludhiana North — are the second and third lowest spenders with Rs 6.57 lakhs (23 percent) and Rs 7.19 lakhs (26 percent) expenses respectively.
Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to secure a respectable number of seats along with the place of main opposition party in Vidhan Sabha, its MlAs spent as much as 56 percent and 55 percent of the expense limit. While SAD’s 15 legislators, on an average, spent Rs 15.76 lakhs, its ally BJP spent Rs 15.49 lakhs.
As per the party-wise average election expenses, two MlAs from lok Insaaf Party—Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Bains (popularly known as Bains Brothers of ludhiana) — spent Rs 20.01 lakhs, which is 71.5 percent of the expense limit.
Simarjeet, MlA from Atam Nagar assembly segment, is also the third highest spender on his election campaign, spending 90 percent of the limit—Rs 25.18 lakhs. On the second spot is Congress MlA from Chamkaur Sahib and Cabinet Minister Charanjit Singh Channi with Rs 26.83 lakh expenditure — 96 percent of the total prescribed limit.
As the Congress succeeded in securing people’s mandate with 77 MlAs emerging victorious, it average spending on elections is Rs 15.25 lakhs — 54.5 percent of the expense limit.
For 20 MlAs from the debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the average election expenditure is Rs 14.86 lakhs — 53 percent of the expense limit.
AAP which mainly depends on funding from other sources, especially public donations, on an average contributed 39 percent of the total funding of its every MlA, while 45 percent of the amount spent by every MlA was raised from the funds from any person, company, firm, associations or body of persons as loan, gift or donation.
Based on the election expense declarations, the average spending by every MlA is Rs 15.34 lakhs.
As per the declarations made by the MlAs, 45 of them, 38 percent, submitted that they did not spend anything on public meeting, rally, and processions with star campaigners, while 50 (43 percent) MlAs declared that they have not spent any amount on campaigning through electronic or print media.
As many as 35 (30 percent) MlAs have declared that they have not spent any amount on campaign workers, while just one MlA maintained that no expenditure was made for vehicles during the campaign. For the campaign materials, eight MlAs (seven percent) declared that they have not spent any amount.
Maximum Rs 2.71 lakhs were spent by the Akali Dal, on an average, on the public meetings, processions etc with star campaigners; followed by Rs 1.82 lakhs by the BJP, Rs 1.55 lakhs by the Congress, Rs 1.03 lakhs by AAP, and none by lok Insaaf Party of Bains Brothers.
For public meetings, processions etc without star campaigners, AAP spent the maximum of Rs 5.58 lakhs, followed by Rs 5.35 lakhs, BJP Rs 5.16 lakhs, Congress Rs 4.63, and lIP Rs 76,000.
For its campaign on electronic media, Congress spent the maximum of Rs 82,000, followed by BJP with Rs 56,000, SAD with Rs 37,000, and AAP with Rs 18,000.
Out of the total funds received by MlAs, 22 percent were raised from political parties, 39 percent by MlAs themselves and 39 percent were raised from other sources. Out of 117 MlAs analyzed, 69 (59 percent) MlAs have declared that they have not received any funds from political parties.
17 (14.5 percent) MlAs have declared that they have not received any funds from any person, or company as loan, gift or donation etc.