On an average Kerala MLAs spent 70% of election fund

Kerala Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Friday said MLAs from Kerala spent on an average 70 per cent of their total allowed expenditure in the assembly polls which concluded in June.

The report released on Friday, after analysing expenditure statements as submitted by MLAs to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), found that across parties on an average about Rs 19.64 lakh of the prescribed 28 lakh was spent by the former on expenditures.

The expenses documents procured by the two bodies show in detail the money spent on public meeting and processions, campaigning through electronic and print media, expense on campaign workers, expense on vehicles used and expense on campaign materials.

According to Section 78 of Representation of People Act, 1951, every contesting candidate is supposed to submit a copy of his election expenses within 30 days of the announcement of the results.

The data was made available through the report for 137 candidates out of 140 who contested elections.

The expense details of the remaining three could not be published due to their unavailability on the CEOs website.

--IANS

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