Money matters in modern elections in India. Nowadays, a party spends money like a corporate company. In recent assembly elections held in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, the expenditure figure went to three-digit in crores. The Congress alone spent over Rs 130 crore for contesting the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls held late last year.
An expenditure report submitted by the party to the Election Commission stated that the Congress spent Rs 27.02 crore in Himachal Pradesh and Rs 103.62 crore in Gujarat.
In Himachal Pradesh, the party spent Rs 14.80 crore for funding its candidates, Rs 2.74 crore on advertisements and publicity, and Rs 5.28 crore on travel of its star campaigners, which includes expenditure on hiring special aircraft for its top leaders.
In Gujarat, the Congress spent Rs 45.34 crore for funding its candidates; Rs 18.08 crore on publicity, including posters and banners; Rs 11.27 crore on advertisements and Rs 9.88 crore on travel of its star campaigners.
How much ruling party BJP spent
The BJP spent over Rs 49 crore for contesting the Himachal Pradesh elections. The EC has not yet put in the public domain the BJP's election expenditure report for the Gujarat assembly elections.
The BJP retained power in Gujarat, while the Congress wrested power from the BJP in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the election expenditure reports filed by the two parties, money was largely spent on funding their respective candidates, advertisement and publicity, and travel of star campaigners.
The BJP has shown its expenditure at Rs 49.69 crore in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP spent Rs 15.19 crore on travel of its star campaigners, Rs 8.5 crore on publicity and Rs 18.57 crore for funding its candidates, according to the party's expenditure report.
(PTI inputs)
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