The Deccan Herald 09.11.2010
2-lakh spend limit for CMC election
Vijesh Kamath, Bangalore, November 8, DHNS:
The State government is all set to issue a final notification next week fixing the election expenditure ceiling at Rs two lakh for each candidate contesting elections to City Municipal Council (CMC), Rs 1.5 lakh for those contesting Town Municipal Council (TMC) polls and Rs one lakh per candidate for Town Panchayat (TP) elections.
Hitherto, there was no ceiling on election expenditure for urban local bodies. Once the new law is in place, candidates will have to maintain and furnish accounts of their election expenditure to the State Election Commission (SEC). There are 44 CMCs, 94 TMCs, 68 TPs in the State.Suitable amendments will also be made to the Karnataka Municipalities (Election of Councillors) (Amendment) Rules to empower the SEC to disqualify a candidate if it decides a candidate has failed to lodge the account of expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed, sources in the urban development department said.
Candidates will have to maintain six different registers, to be updated on a daily basis, to record their election expenditure. Last year, the government had fixed the ceiling at Rs five lakh for each candidate contesting elections to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). For other city corporations, the election expenditure limit has been fixed at Rs three lakh. Poll expenditure limit is already in place for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
The new rules also stipulate separate registers need to maintained to record expenditure incurred by any other individual, political party, society or organisation on behalf of the candidate; to record the details of financial assistance received; details on expenditure on vehicles used; details on expenditure on public meetings besides details of expenditure on travel by leaders of political parties.
The registers should be entered every day and the same should be produced to any officer for inspection authorised by the State Election Commission at any time, the new rules states.
Highlights
* New rules fixing poll expenditure limit for urban local bodies to be notified next week.
* There are 44 CMCs, 94 TMCs, 68 TPs in the State.
* Elections for urban local bodies are due in 2012.
* Six registers to record election expenditure need to be maintained.
* Failure to lodge the account of expenses can lead to disqualification of candidates.
