Nagaland election expenditure: Frugal candidates or false figures?

• Expenditure affidavits claim that less than Rs. 10 crore was spent by 158 candidates combined

• On an average each candidate spent only around Rs. 6. 29 lakh  

Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 12  

If the disclosures from the candidates on their expenditure incurred during the recently conducted 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) general election are to be believed, election in Nagaland, contrary to popular opinion, was an extremely frugal affair.  

This is the broad conclusion from analysis of ‘Expenses made during the elections’ of 158 candidates made available so far by the State’s electoral office. As per the data, the total of 158 candidates combined together used up hardly 10 crore during the 2018 elections.  

The expense claims from the candidates, which has been made available in the Nagaland Chief Electoral Office (CEO)'s website appear to whitewash the general perception that obscene amounts of money are thrown around during the election.  

Nagaland elections have always been marred by numerous reports (both alleged and confirmed) of aggressive vote buying and obnoxious amounts spent on party workers. The massive Clean Election Campaign, organized by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) last year, sought to address this as a one of the key challenges towards ensuring a fair electoral process in the state.  

The candidates’ expenditure affidavits for the 2018 elections however suggest, albeit with a big dose of skepticism, that there isn’t much to worry about in terms of money and Nagaland elections. Their disclosures, if true, imply that all of the candidates dutifully stuck by the expenditure rules laid down by the Election Commission of India.  

Only 24 candidates spend above 10 lakh

As per the documents available in the CEO’s website, only twenty four candidates spend above Rs ten lakhs, while seven of them spent less than Rs one lakh.  

It may be noted that as per the ECI, the maximum limit of election expenses for the assembly constituencies was Rs. 20 lakh per candidate for the 2018 Nagaland Polls. None of the candidates, according to their affidavits came close to that limit.  

Analyzing the details furnished by 158 candidates from 50 Assembly Constituencies available so far revealed that their total election related expenses totals to only Rs 9,95,20,762 (Nine crores ninety five lakh twenty thousand seven hundred and sixty two) approximately. This means that on an average each candidate spent only around Rs 6, 29,878.  

The highest expenditure was incurred by Moatoshi Longkumer (NPF) who contested from Dimapur II Assembly Constituency. According to his expenditure affidavit, Longkumer spent an amount of Rs 17, 65,445. He was followed by former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition, TR Zeliang who spent a total of Rs 17, 09,397, while contesting from Peren A/C .  

The lowest expenditure was incurred by Aam Admi Party (AAP) candidate, Akavi Zhimomi, who contested from Ghaspani I A/C. He incurred an expense amounting to only Rs 39240.  

Meanwhile, Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, though elected unopposed from the Northern Angami II A/C, had to spend Rs 4, 58,436.  

Constituency wise the aggregate expenditure was highest at Chizami A/C totaling to Rs 50, 32,781. At the other end of the spectrum, Tobu A/C had the least election expenditure at Rs 7, 63,050; discounting the Northern Angami II Assembly Constituency, which elected its MLA unopposed.  

Source of funds

As per the “abstract of the source of funds raised by candidates” in documents submitted to the Election Commission, the source of fund for candidates were mostly filed under “own fund” or “Lump sum amount received from any person/company/firm/associations/body of person etc as loan, gift, or donation.”  

The party funding of candidates were limited to two national parties - The Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress. Almost all the BJP candidates, barring two, received Rs. 10 lakh as “Lump sum amount received from the party (ies) in cash or cheque.”  

The highest amount was received by an INC candidate from Pfutsero A/C who got Rs. 15 lakh from Indian National Congress/NPCC. A BJP candidate whole “source of funds” of Rs. 20 lakh was paid by a construction company.   Incidentally, all the funds raised by lowest spending candidate Akavi of AAP totaling Rs. 69, 000 was donated by well-wishers with Rs. 60, 000 coming through online transfer and Rs. 9000 in cash.  

Independent studies, however, had negated such claims in the past. For instance, the post election watch study by Youthnet comparative analysis of the last two Assembly elections in Nagaland (2008 and 2013) revealed that the total estimated expenditure of 216 candidates in 2008 was Rs 569.96 crore, while 184 candidates spent a whopping Rs. 937.82 crore in 2013 - a cool Rs 2.63 and Rs.5.09 crore respectively for each candidate .