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Ceiling on election expenditure untouched in Rajasthan

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Vasundhara Raje incurred the highest expenditure of Rs 965,428 to record her fourth successive win from the Jhalawar Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan in the recent general election.

As against this, the lowest amount of Rs 34,819 was spent by an Independent contestant, Kailash Chand, who contested unsuccessfully from the Nagaur Lok Sabha seat.

A total of 219 contestants tried their luck in the 25 parliamentary constituencies from the state in the February 16 general election, and none of them even touched the election expenditure ceiling of Rs 15,00,000 fixed by the Election Commission for the polls.

A few contestants, including the BJP's winner from the Bayana parliamentary seat, Ganga Ram Koli, did not file returns of their election expenditure even after the expiry of the deadline for the same.

Congress heavyweight and former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar, who had recorded the state's highest victory margin in the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat, spent only Rs 485,099, while former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh won the election from Bharatpur at a cost of Rs 548,844.

Another Congress stalwart, former Union minister Rajesh Pilot, secured his fifth term in the Lok Sabha from Dausa incurring expenses to the tune of Rs 723,801 while former Rajasthan chief minister Jagannath Pahadia incurred just Rs 135,065 in Bayana. However, he lost the election.

BJP leader and deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Jaswant Singh, who had lost the election from Chittorgarh, incurred an expenditure of Rs 816,433 on electioneering.

State Congress president Ashok Gehlot won the Jodhpur seat for a fifth term, spending Rs 482,763 while Communication Minister Buta Singh, who contested the Jalore seat as an Independent after being denied a Congress ticket, spent Rs 554,832.

Former Union minister and Congress (Secular) nominee Sheesh Ram Ola recorded his second win in Jhunjhunu, incurring an expenditure of Rs 246,388.

UNI

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