EC may raise expenditure cap for LS seat to Rs 70 lakh

Candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls will be able to spend more on their campaign with the Election Commission considering raising the expenditure cap up to Rs 70 lakh per contestant from Rs 40 lakh now. According to highly placed sources, the EC has worked out a formula based on Cost Inflation Index by virtue of which the expenditure limit for candidates contesting a Parliamentary constituency will go up from the current Rs 40 lakh in bigger states to Rs 70 lakh this time around. Smaller states like Goa have less expenditure limits as candidates have lesser areas to cover during campaign. As per the formula worked out by the Commission, the rise for Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies will be to the extent of 1.75 times the current figures, sources said. While EC is yet to write to the Law Ministry for raising the expenditure limits, the sources said discussions have been held in this regard and a final decision in this regard will be taken this week. The enhanced limits come in the wake of political parties making a strong pitch in this regard at a recent meeting with top officials of the poll body.