Panchayat Election Expenditure Rules Tightened

Panchayat Election Expenditure | Hyderabad, Dec. 5: The first list of candidates for the Panchayat elections has been released, and election symbols have already been allotted.

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Candidates have begun campaigning with their assigned symbols. Election expenditure observers have increased monitoring as the campaign phase gathers momentum, and they have issued detailed guidelines that candidates must follow throughout the process.

Candidates must maintain a record of every election-related expense from the date of filing nominations until the declaration of results.

They may manage this accounting themselves or through an authorised agent. They must also obtain prior permission from returning officers, police, and other officials for all campaign vehicles, public meetings, microphones, and rallies.

All expenses must be recorded only in the format prescribed by the Election Commission, and each entry must include a valid bill or voucher. Candidates or their agents must sign every “paid by me” entry without fail.

Payments must be made only from the bank account submitted during nomination. Candidates must deposit the required funds into that account before incurring any election-related expenditure.

Payments above ten thousand rupees must be made through crossed account payee cheque, RTGS, or NEFT.

Cash expenditure is allowed only for amounts below ten thousand rupees. The dedicated election bank account cannot be used for any non-election purpose until the entire process is complete.

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Authorities will accept expense calculations only as per the district election authority’s rate chart. Candidates or agents are not permitted to hold more than ten thousand rupees in cash at any time during the campaign, as specified in election rules.

Panchayat Election Expenditure Monitoring Intensifies

Each day, candidates or their agents must submit daily expenditure details to the MPDO in the prescribed pro forma. These may be delivered in person or through a messenger.

During scheduled inspections, observers will verify complete accounts. Failure to submit records will result in notices, and continued non-compliance will lead to action under IPC 171I and cancellation of campaign vehicle permissions.

Candidates must submit final accounts to the MPDO within 45-days of vote counting. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from contesting elections for three years.

Along with candidate-maintained accounts, expenditure monitoring teams will maintain a shadow observation register for every candidate.

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These registers will include independent expenditure observations collected across all mandals. During scrutiny, officials will compare the candidate’s accounts with the shadow register.

If shadow expenditure exceeds the declared expenditure, authorities will record the discrepancy and initiate action.

According to notified limits, sarpanch candidates in villages with more than five thousand population may spend up to 2.5 lakh rupees, while ward members may spend up to fifty thousand rupees.

In villages with fewer than five thousand residents, sarpanch candidates may spend up to 1.5 lakh rupees and ward members up to thirty thousand rupees. These limits will apply strictly during the entire campaign period.

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