Mizoram poll candidate can spend Rs.8 lakh

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed all political parties that their candidates for the upcoming Mizoram assembly elections can spend a maximum of Rs.8 lakh each to meet poll-related expenditure.

"The ECI would appoint expenditure observers besides general and security observers to scrutinise the expenses of all candidates and political parties during the elections," an official of the Mizoram election department told reporters here Saturday.

He said the ECI has issued special guidelines to all poll-related officials, including sub-divisional and district magistrates, to record the expenditure of the candidates and political parties.

Elections to the 40-seat Mizoram assembly is expected to be held at the end of this year.

The churches of different Christian communities always supervise the elections in Mizoram on their own to prevent malpractices during elections.

Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh will also go to polls in November or December along with Mizoram.

During the last assembly elections in December 2008, the Congress won 32 seats, Mizo National Front (MNF) three and Maraland Democratic Front one.

The United Democratic Alliance's constituents - Mizoram People's Conference and Zoram Nationalist Party - got two seats each.

The MNF, which ruled the state for 10 years until 2008, is the principal opposition party