Madam : How about Central Election Fund ?

  

 

Context :

Nirmala Sitharaman says she doesn’t have money to contest Lok Sabha election, declines BJP ticket       

( HT  /  28 March 2024 )

Extract :

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday that she has declined the offer extended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest the upcoming polls, saying that she “doesn't have the kind of money” to stand in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Sitharaman said that BJP President JP Nadda extended the option to her to either contest from Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu, but she rejected the offer, pleading that she does not have the funds to contest the polls.

While speaking at the Times Now Summit 2024, the finance minister said, “After thinking over a week or ten days, I just went back to say... maybe not. I do not have that kind of money to contest.

“I also have a problem whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. It's also going to be a question of various other winnability criteria that they use...Are you from this community or are you from that religion? Are you from this? I said no, I do not think I am going to able to do it,” she added.

"I am very grateful that they accepted my argument...So I am not contesting," she added. When asked why even the finance minister of the country does not have enough funds to fight Lok Sabha elections, she said that the Consolidated Fund of India does not belong to her.

She said, "My salary, my earnings, my savings are mine and not the Consolidated Fund of India".

However, Sitharaman said that she will still be a part of BJP's campaign trail for the upcoming elections. She will be attending media events and campaigning for multiple BJP candidates, including Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

While Sitharaman won't be contesting the polls this time, the BJP has fielded multiple existing Rajya Sabha candidates including Piyush Goyal, Bhupender Yadav, Rajiv Chandrasekhar, Mansukh Mandaviya, and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Till now, BJP has released seven list of candidates for the upcoming general elections, fielding party heavyweights like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh in its initial lists. BJP's surprise candidates like actress Kangana Ranaut and Sandeshkhali violence survivor Rekha Patra also made headlines the past week.

 

My  Take :

Let us examine Smt Sitharamanji’s hesitation in light of the following :

Ø  Ahead of Assembly polls in five States, the expenditure limit for candidates for Lok Sabha constituencies was increased to ₹75 lakh from ₹54 lakh and ₹95 lakh from ₹70 lakh, depending on the State, while the spending limit for Assembly constituencies was hiked from ₹20 lakh to ₹28 lakh and ₹28 lakh to ₹40 lakh, the Election Commission said on Thursday.

 

But what Smt Sitharamanji would not tell us is :

 

Ø  What is her estimate of “ that kind of money to contest “

 

But Indian voters know that it is close to Rs 10 Crore per candidate ( of course,

most of it in black money –CASH expenses never reported to the Election

Commission )

 

We can safely assume that , those 542 Lok Sabha seats , will get contested by

some 5,000 candidates

Hence, between them , they will spend Rs 50,000 Crore

 

On top of this , Central + State Governments are expected to spend Rs 120,000

crore for 2024 electons

( source > https://english.gujaratsamachar.com/news/national/lok-sabha-polls-to-cost-india-1-20-lakh-crore )

 

These expenses were :

 

Ø  2014 election ……………..   Rs  30,000 crore

 

Ø  2019 election ……………….. Rs  60,000 crore

 

 

You can see that the expenses incurred by the govts, are DOUBLING every 5 years

So, expect 2029 election…………….. Rs 240,000 crore

 

Now, of course , that Rs 1.2 lakh*crore, does come out of the “ Consolidated

Fund of India “

 

 What should Indian Voters demand from ALL political parties ?

 

Here is my suggestions :

 

( A )  To reduce expenses being incurred by the Central/ State governments

Ø           >  Introduce “ One Nation, One Election “ – using VotesApp mobile app

 

( B )   To control expenses being incurred by the candidates :

Ø           > Replace the current ELECTORAL BOND scheme with  “  Central Election

                Fund “ , controlled by Election Commission

 

Smt Sitharamanji ,

 

While declining to contest , you are not alone

 

Like you , there are thousands of other HONEST and COMPETENT citizen who

would never come forward to contest any elections , as long as the present

systems exist

 

They don’t have ill-gotten crores of BLACK MONEY and they cannot afford to 

spend their honest income

They would not lie to the Election Commission ( while filing their nomination /

their post-election expense statements )

 

They would not want having to repay any obligation ( read “ funding “ ) from

anyone ( Quid pro Quo )

 

My PRANAAM , Smt Sitharamanji

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.HemenParekh.ai  /  28  March  2024