Question : Expenditure Limit of Candidates Contesting Elections

(a) whether the expenditure limit of candidates contesting in elections vary from State to State and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(b) whether there is a demand for increase in expenditure of candidates contesting elections due to the increase in the size of electorate and increasing inflation and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Election Commission has now constituted a committee to examine the expenditure limit of candidates contesting in Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections;
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the composition of the committee;
(e) the time by which the committee is likely to submit its report to the Government; and
(f) whether the Government is also taking steps to check criminals from contesting elections and if so, the details and the present status thereof?

MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) and (b): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed that there has been consistent demand of many political parties to raise the limits as the number of electors increased from 834 million in 2014 to 921 million in 2020 and also the rise in Cost Inflation Index from 220 to 301, i.e. by 1.37 times.Considering these factors and the extraordinary and unprecedented situation due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the expenditure limits of Candidates for Parliamentary and State Assembly elections were increased vide Notification No 3667(E) dated 19th October, 2020.
(c) to (e): The ECI has informed that a committee has been constituted to examine the expenditure limit of candidates contesting elections, and it is likely to submit its report by 31st March, 2021. The composition of the Committee is as under:
I. Shri Harish Kumar, IRS (retired)
II. Shri Umesh Sinha, Secretary General, ECI
III. Shri ChandraBhushan Kumar, Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI
IV. DG (Expenditure), ECI- Member Secretary.
(f): Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 dealing with disqualification on conviction for certain offences lays down sufficient provisions for disqualification for membership of Parliament and theState Legislatures.
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