Analysis of Election Expenditure Statements of MPs 2014 Lok Sabha Elections

National Election Watch (NEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analyzed the election expense statements submitted after the Lok Sabha Elections of 2014 for 537 MPs. The remaining expenditure statements of the rest of the MPs were not analysed due to the unavailability of the statements at the time of the making of this report. These election expense documents include details of expenses on public meeting and processions, campaigning through electronic and print media, expense on campaign workers, expense on vehicles used and expense on campaign materials.

The expenditure limits for Lok Sabha elections were raised this year from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 70 lakh for each Lok Sabha constituency in bigger states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka etc, and from Rs 22 lakh to Rs. 54 Lakhs in smaller states like Goa. This revision of election expenditure limits came after sustained efforts by the candidates contesting elections. However, upon analyzing the expenditure statements submitted by the MPs of the Lok Sabha 2014 elections to the ECI, it is seen that the MPs continue to declare election expenditure which is significantly lower than the expense limit.

Recommendations:

The candidate is required to file his election expenditure statement within 30 days of the results of the elections. The deadline for submitting the election expenditure statements for Lok Sabha 2014 was the 16^th of June, 2014. The statements are then uploaded on the CEO websites within 72 hours of the receipt of the statement. It was observed that the election expenditure statements of the candidates were not uploaded on the CEO websites till significantly after the deadline. It is recommended that the Abstract Expenditure Statement (Annexure 15) of the candidates is uploaded on the CEO websites within 72 hours of the receipt of the statement.

The deadline for filing an election petition against any candidate is 45 days after the declaration of the results. Generally, candidates submit their election expenditure statements towards the end of the 30 days given for submission of the statements. This leaves 15 days for any common citizen to file an election petition against any candidate. The deadline for filing an election petition should be increased in order to give the citizens time to scrutinize the election expenditure statements of the candidates and gather the relevant documents/proof etc for the election petition.

As has been instated in the filing of affidavits during the elections, the candidates should not be allowed to keep any field blank on the Abstract Election Expenditure statement (Annexure 15) and Schedule 1 to 9. The statements must be filled in a legible format and overwriting of amounts in the statement should be discouraged.

Summary and Highlights

Less than 50% of the Limit: Candidates have constantly claimed that the election expenditure limit set is very low. However, based on the election expense declarations of 537 MPs analysed from Lok Sabha, 2014 to the ECI, 176 MPs (33%) have declared election expenses of less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency
Expenditure more than the Expense Limit: One MP declared election expenditure more than the prescribed expense limit. Gourav Gogoi of INC from Kaliabor Constituency, Assam declared an election expenditure of Rs. 82.40 Lakhs (118% of the expense limit)
Average Election Expenses: Based on the election expense declarations of 537 MPs from Lok Sabha 2014 to the ECI, the average amount of money spent by them in the elections is only about Rs 40.33 lakhs, which is 58% of the expense limit.
Party-wise Average Election Expenses: The party wise average election expenses shows that the average spending for 277 MPs from BJP is Rs 41.81 lakhs (60% of the average expense limit), for 44 MPs from INC is Rs 41.63 lakhs (60% of the average expense limit), for 37 MPs from AIADMK is Rs 35.66 Lakhs (51% of the average expense limit) and for 34 MPs from AITC is Rs. 46.51 Lakhs (67% of the average expense limit).

Top 3 MPs with highest Election Expenses: The maximum expense of about Rs 82.40 Lakhs (118% of the expense limit) has been declared by Gourav Gogoi of INC from Kaliabor constituency, Assam followed by Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava of BJP from Bharuch constituency, Gujarat with an expense of Rs 67.31 lakhs (or 96% of the expense limit) and Saugata Roy of AITC from Dum Dum constituency, West Bengal with an expense of Rs 65.53 Lakhs (or 94% of the expense limit)
MPs with lowest Election Expenses: Shyama Charan Gupta of BJP from Allahabad constituency, Uttar Pradesh has declared election expenditure of Rs. 39,369, followed by Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati of TDP from Vizianagaram Constituency, Andhra Pradesh with election expenses of Rs. 4.10 lakhs and Vanaroja R of AIADMK from Tiruvannamalai Constituency, Tamil Nadu with election expenses of Rs. 5.48 lakhs.
Comparison of Expenditure Incurred by the MP with their Self-Declared Total Assets

In Part II of the Abstract Election Expenditure statement, the candidate is required to provide a break-up of the expenditure incurred on the campaign. The break-up is in two aspects i.e. items of expenditure and sources for expenditure. In sources for expenditure, the candidate states the amount incurred or authorized;

By the candidate/election agent.
By political parties.
By others.

A total of the above three sections is equal to the total expenditure incurred on the election campaign by the candidate.

Association for Democratic Reforms compared the expenditure incurred by the candidate/election agent (Section I) with the self-declared total assets of the MP from the affidavit filed along with their nomination papers during elections.

16 MPs (list given in the detailed report attached) have declared election expenditure incurred by them (Section 1) which is more than their total assets declared during the elections.

Expense on Public Meeting, Rally, and Processions with Star Campaigners: Out of the 537 MPs analyzed, 108 (20%) MPs have declared that they have not spent ANY amount on public meetings, processions etc with Star Campaigners.
Expense on Public Meetings, Rally, and Processions other than the ones with Star Campaigners: Out of the 537 MPs analyzed, 24 (4%) MPs have declared that they have not spent ANY amount on public meetings, processions etc other than the ones with star campaigners.
Expense on Campaigning through electronic/print media: 108 (20%) MPs have declared that they have not spent ANY amount on campaigning through electronic/print media.
Expense on Campaign Workers:100 (19%) MPs have declared that they have not spent ANY amount on campaign workers.
Expense on Vehicles used: 5 (1%) MPs have declared that they have not spent ANY amount on Vehicles Used.
Expense on Campaign Materials.: 72 (13%) MPs have declared that they have not spent ANY amount on Campaign Materials

Funds Raised from Political Party: Out of the 537 MPs analyzed, 194 (36%) MPs have declared that they have not received any funds from political parties.
Funds Raised through any person/ company/ firm/ associations/ body of persons etc as loan, gift or donation etc: Out of the 537 MPs analyzed, 165(31%) MPs have declared that they have not received any funds from any person/ company/ firm/ associations/ body of persons etc as loan, gift or donation etc.
Self funds used for election campaign:Out of the 537 MPs analyzed, 51 (9%) MPs have declared that they have not used any of their own funds for their election campaign

Summary and Highlights – Ministers

Less than 50% of the Limit: Based on the election expense declarations of 35 Ministers analysed from Lok Sabha, 2014 to the ECI, 11 Ministers (31%) have declared election expenses of less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency.
Average Election Expenses: Based on the election expense declarations of 35 Ministers from Lok Sabha 2014 to the ECI, the average amount of money spent by them in the elections is only about Rs 38.96 lakhs, which is 56% of the expense limit.
Top 3 Ministers with highest Election Expenses: The maximum expense of about Rs 67.31 Lakhs (96% of the expense limit) has been declared by Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava of BJP from Bharuch constituency, Gujarat followed by Uma Bharti of BJP from Jhansi constituency, Uttar Pradesh with an expense of Rs 59.64 lakhs (or 85% of the expense limit) and D.V. Sadananda Gowda of BJP from Bangalore North constituency, Karnataka with an expense of Rs 59.35 Lakhs (or 85% of the expense limit)
Ministers with lowest Election Expenses: Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati of TDP from Vizianagaram Constituency, Andhra Pradesh has declared an election expenditure of Rs. 4.10 lakhs (6% of the expense limit). He is followed by Kiren Rijiju of BJP from Arunachal West constituency, Arunachal Pradesh who has declared election expenditure of Rs. 13.70 lakhs (25% of the expense limit), Raj Nath Singh of BJP from Lucknow Constituency, Uttar Pradesh with election expenses of Rs. 17.76 lakhs (25% of the expense limit) and Dr. Jitendra Singh of BJP from Udhampur Constituency, Jammu and Kashmir with election expenses of Rs. 21.97 lakhs (31% of the expense limit).

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