Spending spree by the ontestants this election will be a risky affair. The Election Commission of India has allowed Rs70 lakhs to be spent on poll campaigning by a contestant but a pie more than this is to invite serious consequences.
According to the returning officer, Palamu lok Sabha constituency cum DC KN Jha a flying squad has been set up to keep a hawk eye on the expenditures to be made by the contestants. Apart from this, flying squad other teams are the static surveillance teams, video surveillance team and video viewing team.
If a contestant is a social media creature then his Facebook account details too is to be given by him to the administration.Two observers related to expenditures of the contestants have reached Daltonganj said Jha. The two are M Kumar and SI Faisal.Kumar will look after the four Assembly segments falling in the Palamu district which form the lok Sabha constituency while Faisal will look after two Assembly segments of Garhwa district which too come under Palamu lok Sabha seat.
Jha clarified that if a contestant who comes to file his nomination at 2.30 in the day but before that he has held or arranged any show of his campaign or publicity then the expenditures made by him on this too are to be accounted as his poll expenses irrespective of the fact as to what what time he has filed his nomination.
As Palamu is an SC reserved seat for lS the nomination fee is Rs12,500 per contestant. To a question if a stage show/street corner show is arranged wherein the performers claim they have not taken any money from the contestant but have done this for the sake of understanding or acquaintance with the contestant Jha cost of such a show will come on the head of the contestant no matter what the performers so claim. The cost will be assessed by the team.
The Election Commission Of India has tightened noose for any extravaganza by the contestant. However TV footage across the country shows contestants doling out cash to voters right in front of the camera caring hardly for ECI.
As the ECI has not updated its hand book for the contestants the administration is burning mid night oil to get it ready to be handed over to the contestants as hand book for contestants remains a kind of Ten Commandments for them.