Karnataka election is the most expensive; All you want to know in brief
PM Narendra Modi led BJP is all set to form the government in Karnataka after it put itself on the road to registering a massive victory that may well give it a majority in the assembly. This will ensure that there will be no need for Deve Gowda led JDS' support as many had predicted. Now, chances of a hung assembly are mostly gone. Notably, ex-CM Yeddyurappa has won from his constituency even as CM Siddaramaiah has lost from one of his. Even as the fight plays out in the political sphere, it has been revealed that a huge amount of money powered the parties and the Karnataka assembly election has been dubbed as the most expensive poll ever.
According to the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) report, a not-for-profit research think-tank, has described the electoral exercise as ‘money guzzler’. According to the CMS, Rs 9,500-10,500 crore was spent in the Karnataka Assembly polls, twice of what was spent in the previous Assembly poll in the state in 2013.
Karnataka polls expenses were usually higher than Assembly elections in most other states in the past 20 years, the report said. After Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been the highest poll spenders in the country, it said.
It has pegged the 2019 Lok Sabha poll expenditure estimate at Rs 50,000-60,000 crore against Rs 30,000 crore in 2014.
“In the case of Lok Sabha poll, the candidate share, however, is expected to be 55-60 per cent and what political parties spend will increase to 29-30 per cent, which is expected to be Rs 12,000-20,000 crore in 2019,” the organisation said in a statement.
The ruling party spent the most. Before the elections, hundreds of crores cash were seized. The Election Commission had reported a Rs 152 crore seized cash.