. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Election expenses are often discussed only behind the scenes of political parties, but Mathew Jose, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Munnar division in Idukki panchayat district, is making it a part of his campaign. Among the many campaign talking points he highlights are issues such as the insufficient limit of ₹ 1.5 lakh on campaign expenditure in district panchayats, as well as the widely visible trend of candidates exceeding and later understating the limit.
“I’m trying to run for election within the spending limit using only contributions from the public. Although there are over 100 departments in my division, I’ve decided not to accept contributions from them. The election commission limits are sufficient if you’re just doing traditional door-to-door campaigning and low-cost social media posts.” Mr. Jose, who had earlier won as a Congress candidate and as an independent, tells The Hindu.
Ahead of this year’s local body elections, the State Election Commission has decided not to revise the spending limits, which it last raised ahead of the 2020 elections. While candidates contesting in a grama panchayat can spend only ₹25,000, candidates in block panchayats and municipalities can spend up to ₹75,000. Candidates in district panchayat divisions and corporation departments have a ceiling of ₹ 1.5 lakh.
Candidates must file an expense account with the SEC after the election. According to a draft list released by the SEC in 2022, a total of 9,202 of the 74,899 candidates who contested statewide in the 2020 local body elections either failed to provide details of their election expenses or exceeded spending limits.
More than ₹7000
Many people who participate in hectic campaigns, especially in urban areas, say that the limits are a little unrealistic. In district panchayats where each division is spread over a huge area, even putting up posters in all regions can stretch the expenditure limits. The arrival of professional public relations agencies on the campaign scene increased costs. According to information shared by the campaign team of a major political front, the expenses of some candidates in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation could exceed ₹7 lakh.
“To organize a ward-level convention would cost around ₹ 100,000, including the money spent on bringing people to the venue. Booth-level conventions for 10 or 11 booths will also incur significant expenses. Parties contribute only a portion of the cost, while in most cases candidates are expected to spend heavily. This has also led to a situation where candidates who don’t have seats are picking their pockets. Councilors from Coastal department in Thiruvananthapuram.
Funding based on status
Party spending on candidates also varies according to their relative standing. District-level leaders receive additional funding and campaign support from district committees. The same is the case with leaders of youth organizations. The main fronts also allocate significant resources to smaller constitutional parties.
“We have mainly focused on door-to-door campaigning while cutting unnecessary expenditure. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) takes care of collecting contributions from the congregation and spends it on the campaign,” says Congress (S) leader and five-time councilor Palayam Rajan, who will contest from Nanthancode ward of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
Sabu M. Jacob, chief coordinator of Twenty20, a political organization backed by major corporation Kitex Group, says his party handles the campaign expenses of all its candidates.
Support of friends
Single-handed Independent candidates don’t necessarily have to dig deep into their own pockets, as some rely on their network of friends and acquaintances.
“Most of my old friends work in West Asian countries. Quite a few of them sponsored my campaign in the past, so I didn’t have to ask for contributions from commercial institutions,” says M. Nissamudeen, currently an independent councilor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
Published – 23 Nov 2025 0:29 IST
