Lok Sabha polls: Election Commission tightens campaign budget, party workers feel squeezed out

MADURAI: Candidates are dour-faced about the Election Commission's tough restrictions on campaign spending, but it's the infantry canvassing in the summer heat that is really feeling the squeeze.

Biryani's off the menu and flow of liquor is down to a trickle. For party workers, an election campaign without a swig is just not what it used to be; something they looked forward to after five-year intervals. Now they're complaining they're having to drink plain water.

"It's tough to stay motivated without the perks of canvassing," said a CPM worker. The EC is keeping close tabs on expenses of candidates after limiting their campaign budget to Rs 70 lakh each. Recently, it even released a rate card for various types of food, soft drinks and snacks.

"We can't give party workers food and soft drinks as the EC has fixed price for everything. We have to be very careful about our expenditure," said an assistant to AIADMK's Madurai candidate R Gopalakrishnan.

A close associate of DMK candidate for Madurai said party functionaries have been cautioned the EC will add food and drinks bills to the candidate's account.

"We at least had soft drinks and buttermilk in the last elections," a CPM party worker fumed. "But candidates are now providing only water. Campaigning in the heat is not easy without cold-drinks."

S Krishnaswamy, a DMDK functionary from Tiruvallur, said parties have not been able to spend money like they did in 2011 elections. "We're trying to get by with the little cash we're allowed to spend. It has been very difficult because, at the grassroots, the party workers are not happy," he said.

Parties nonetheless are plying workers and voters with liquor in constituencies likely to see close contests. Professional accountants make sure that EC has no reason to take offence. "The fight here is going to be very tough. We've been supplying biryani and liquor to workers secretly," said Sholinganallur AIADMK functionary B Kumar.

It's not just candidates and their supporters who are feeling the pinch: electronic goods rental outlets, restaurants and units that provide candidates promotional material say business has been hit. "Parties have hired fewer loudspeakers than in the past," said S Murugan, who runs an electrical and electronic goods rental store in Trichy.

Tamil Nadu Hotels Association secretary R Srinivasan says elections usually bring a surge in business. "Parties used to give election workers food tokens or purchase food for them," he said. "Hotels that sell biryani are the most disappointed this election."

Congress committee president, Coimbatore district, V M C Manoharan confirmed the party had stopped purchasing biryani for those on the campaign trail. "We can only offer them tea or coffee," he said.