India will spend over Rs5,000 crore in the ongoing lok Sabha polls, with around Rs10 crore estimated to be spent on each constituency on an average, as per the Election Commission estimates.
looking at the trend of poll expenditure, Government’s spending on lok Sabha election processes have gone up by a whopping 80 times to nearly Rs850 crore in 60 years.A total of Rs10.45 crore was spent on the country’s first election in 1952. As much as Rs846.66 crore was spent during last general elections in 2009, according to data released by the
Government. An estimated Rs5,000 crore is expected to be spent on polls in 2014.The entire expenditure on actual conduct of elections to lok Sabha is borne by the Government of India and such expenditure on conduct of election to State legislatures by the respective State Governments when such elections are held independently.
If concurrent elections to lok Sabha and State legislative assembly are held then such expenditure is shared between central and respective state Governments.The Centre has borne Rs5.9 crore expenditure incurred on elections in 1957, as against Rs7.32 crore in 1962 and Rs10.79 crore in 1967, the data said.About Rs11.60 crore was spent in 1971, Rs23.03 crore in 1977, Rs54.77 crore in 1980 and Rs81.51 crore for conducting elections during 1984-85, it said.
About Rs154.22 crore was spent for conducting elections in 1989, Rs359.10 crore in 1991-91, Rs597.34 crore in 1996, Rs666.22 crore in 1998, Rs947.68 crore in 1999 and Rs1,113.87 crore in 2004, the data said.Expenditure incurred on items of common concern to the central and the State Governments like expenditure on regular election establishment, preparation and revision of electoral roll etc. Is shared on 50:50 basis irrespective of whether such expenditure is incurred in connection with the elections to the lok Sabha or state legislatures.
“Even if election is to lok Sabha, expenditure towards law and order maintenance is born by respective state governments only,” according to the Government.According to Election Commissioner HS Brahma, conducting Assembly elections in four States — Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh — cost the exchequer about Rs1,000 crore.