EC to keep tab on poll expenditure including paid news

Gone are the days when political parties and their nominees could get away by inserting "paid news" in the columns of news papers or through paid slots on TV channels.

The Election Commission has decided to maintain a strict vigil on such camouflaged expenditure through special surveillance teams ahead of the seven-phased state assembly elections slated in Uttar Pradesh during February 2012.

"While district level teams were being constituted to keep track of any type of paid news, the election commission will also monitor ever single expenditure main by political parties and their nominees towards publicity", UP chief electoral officer Umesh Sinha told mediapersons here Wednesday.

While prescribing an upper limit of 40 star campaigners, he said, "every political party will be required to disclose the names of their respective star campaigners within seven days of the official notification for poll during the specified phase ; and more importantly the parties will be required to furnish details of the expenditure incurred on transport and travel of each of the campaigners."

According to him, "Payments made to aviation companies from whom such aircrafts and helicopters are hired would also be subject to scrutiny of the election commission ; besides other minute travel detail of the star campaigners would also have to be submitted to the election commission  within three days of the completion of such travel ."

He said, "Individual candidates and the star campaigners will have to furnish these details within three days, but political parties will also have to give a detailed account of the overall expenditure made by them under various heads within 75 days of the conclusion of the poll."

And that will include money spent not only on banners, posters, cut-outs, hoardings and advertisements on both print as well as electronic media but also on election rallies including installing of daises, etc."

Sinha sought to point out, "Every candidate will also be required to open a new bank account, at least a day before filing nomination; and every transaction of more than Rs 20,000 will have to be necessarily carried out through crossed cheques only."

Candidates would be free to open such account jointly with the candidate's election agent also.

While emphasising that the idea behind these new regulations was to ensure a "level playing field" for all parties and candidates, the chief electoral officer said, "a few changes have also been made in the format of the affidavit that is to be submitted together with the nomination papers."

He add, " That would include mention of PAN numbers of not just  the candidates, but also their spouses,children and other dependents, together with every detail of their immoveable or moveable property, bank accounts, jewellery, vehicles, bonds, insurance policies, etc."

He said, "These decisions were formally communicated to representatives of all major political parties, who were invited to a meeting on Wednesday."