BJP MLAs Top List of Highest Election Expenses During Gujarat and Himachal Assembly Elections

New Delhi: It is not only that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently formed governments in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh but also that BJP MLAs in both these states have topped the list of MLAs with highest election expenditure.

According to a report by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), two Gujarat MLAs and three Himachal Pradesh MLAs of the BJP incurred the highest election expenses.

Rajendrasinh Ranjitsinh Chavda (BJP) from Himatnagar has exceeded the expense limit by 121%, whereas Dindor Kuberbhai Manusukhbhai (BJP) from Santrampur constituency has exceeded the expense limit by 103%.

In Himachal Pradesh, Kishori Lal (Kullu), Rajiv Saizal (Solan) and St Hira Lal (Mandi), all from BJP have topped the list of MLAs with highest election expenditure, which ranges from 92% to 82% of election cost.

In Gujarat, out of the 182 MLAs analysed, 67% of them had stated that funds were raised from political parties whereas 25% MLAs had declared that they had not received any funds from political parties. However, only 10% of them had stated that they did not use any personal funds for the election expenses.

On an average an MLA from BJP raised 56% and on an average an MLA from INC raised 80% of their election expense funds from the political party, according to the ADR analysis.

In the list of top 10 MLAs with highest declared election expenditure, seven are BJP MLAs and three are Congress MLAs.

In Himachal Pradesh, 57% funds were raised from political parties, 29% were raised by MLAs themselves and 14% funds were raised from other sources.

According to ADR, out of the total funds received by Ministers, 74% funds were raised from political parties, 15% were raised by ministers themselves and 11% funds were raised from other sources.

Interestingly, Mohan Lal Brakta of Congress was the one to be declared as the candidate with lowest election expenditure.

In December, last year, it was 2-0 to the BJP, which swept Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat again, though by a decidedly lower margin of victory than last time.

The BJP won 99 of Gujarat's 182 Assembly seats, which is way over the halfway mark but just shy of the century mark. BJP chief Amit Shah had attributed the lower numbers to "Congress' caste politics and low level of political discourse".