Mamata Banerjee ticks off Lok Sabha poll expenditure limit

KOLKATA: The Centre's decision today to raise Lok Sabha poll expenditure limit from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 70 lakh came in for sharp criticism by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who said it would only help large political parties with enough cash and encourage corruption and black money.

Describing the decision as 'shocking', she said that the decision would put poor parties like Trinamool Congress in a disadvantage.

"It is a long pending demand for state funding for election expenditure as part of electoral reforms. Instead, the central government has decided to increase the poll expenditure limit," Banerjee, Trinamool Congress chief, said.

She said that she was not only surprised, but shocked as well to see the attitude of the outgoing government on such an important policy matter.

"It will help the capitalist and large political parties who have enough money and can always spend crores for their election. What the poor political parties like us will do? The decision will put the poor political parties like us at a disadvantageous situation," she said on Facebook.

The shocking decision would clearly encourage more and more corruption and black-money, she said adding she 'condemns' it.

The central Government today cleared a proposal of the Election Commission to raise expenditure limits for Lok Sabha elections to a maximum of Rs 70 lakh and a minimum of Rs 54 lakh, allowing candidates to spend more on their poll campaigns.