Context: Rising election costs in India
Rising election expenditure is making India’s electoral process increasingly money-driven, affecting fairness and equal competition.
Spending Reality
• Legal limit: ~₹95 lakh per parliamentary candidate
• Actual: ₹50–100 crore (estimates) → large unaccounted spending
Legal Framework
Representation of the People Act, 1951
• Section 77 → maintenance of election expenses
• Section 10A → disqualification for wrong accounts
Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961
• Rule 90 → fixes expenditure limits
• Election Commission of India → revises limits
• Gap: No cap on political party expenditure
Core Issues
• Low limits → black money usage
• Weak monitoring → spending before campaign unchecked
• Money becoming entry barrier (majority legislators wealthy)
Solutions
• Cap political party expenditure
• Ensure full transparency in funding sources
• Strengthen real-time monitoring by Election Commission
• Consider partial state funding of elections
