 "The 2015 money race: Paying the price for an election bout")
Sustained high inflation of the last few years has ensured that there has been significant cost escalation since the last Assembly elections. "Five years ago, Rs 151 was considered a decent amount as gift at any function. Now if you give anything less than Rs 501, you face ridicule and therefore, run the risk of losing potential voters," says an aspiring Janata Dal (United) candidate.
"It was one of the costliest wedding seasons ever. On every auspicious day, I had to attend no less than 25-30 weddings or receptions and everywhere I had to present an envelope consisting of at least Rs 501. If the host is an influential person, then the envelope needs to be accompanied with an expensive gift item," says a senior minister in the state government. He and other leaders are happy that the wedding season is finally over and there is unlikely to be one before the elections.
Also Read
But the relief is short-lived. With the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the aspiring candidates from the JD (U)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress combine are now busy preparing for Iftar parties. "Each plate costs nothing less than Rs 100-150. At least 200-300 people turn up at each of these parties. And there are regular party workers and supporters. It is a very costly affair. But we have to do it as our alliance is trying to woo minority voters," says a senior RJD leader. He adds that in order to cut costs, he and others are forced to cut down on expensive items like dates and kebabs.
If, what some leaders say, "the public relations exercise" has become costly, the actual campaigning may prove to be even costlier. During campaigning and after, candidates hire workers and vehicles, set up offices, appoint agents for the voting day and employ the services of representatives for the counting day. Leaders, cutting across party lines, are of the view that cost escalation at each stage is going to pinch them this time.
"Earlier, a worker would ask for Rs 100-150 a day with meal. But now they want nothing less than Rs 500 a day along with meal and branded liquor. You need to have a group of at least 30-50 workers around you all the time to look important and show your strength," says a JD(U) legislator.
There are additional expenses in the form of maintaining a fleet of at least 20 vehicles for a month. A Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) ticket aspirant says, "Candidates are expected to campaign with a fleet that should have some fancy sports utility vehicles (SUVs). These vehicles guzzle a lot of fuel. But you have no option but to maintain them to give the impression that you are a serious candidate."
Candidates are also expected to open at least three offices in their assembly constituency. Running an office costs nearly Rs 5,000 each day. It used to cost almost nothing a few years ago as most of them used to function from residences of local leaders and workers. Then there are telephone bills to be paid. Workers have started demanding smartphones to stay in touch with each other. The cost of printing banners and posters too has gone up considerably in the last few years.
However, the most expensive day for any election contestant is the actual voting day. Each candidate is supposed to have five agents for every booth. "We used to give Rs 1,000 to an agent earlier. Now the asking rate is in excess of Rs 5,000," says another JD (U) legislator, who is set to contest elections yet again. He adds that each assembly constituency has, on an average, nearly 150 booths. In some cases, there are more than 200 booths in an assembly constituency. Which is to say that the total payout to agents for the voting day may work out to be more than the total expenditure a candidate is likely to incur during the entire campaign period.
In the meantime, aspiring candidates are preparing themselves to make generous donations to groups that celebrate Durga Puja in various parts of the state. Since the elections are scheduled to take place sometime in October, they are expecting to make donations to organisations involved with the festivity. For aspiring legislators, the choice is between making generous donation or running the risk of being blacklisted. All the leaders we spoke to for the story did not wish to be named as there is a ceiling on how much a candidate can spend during campaigning. According to the election commission, the maximum expenditure that a candidate can incur in an Assembly election in a bigger state is Rs 28 lakh. For the time being though, most leaders are busy spending on the "public relations exercise" as the election commission's surveillance begins with the filing of nomination papers.
| PRICEY POLLS Contestants in the Bihar Assembly elections say high inflation has hit them, too. A snapshot of the expenses they claim they have to bear: |
|