NCP MLA says he spent Rs 10-12 crore during election, later claims he meant 'lakh'

An MLA of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has created ripples by claiming he spent Rs 10 crore to 12 crore during his election campaign, way above the expenditure limit set by the EC. Prakash Solanke, a fourth-term MLA from the Majalgaon assembly constituency in Beed district, later retracted his remarks, made at a public event, saying he made those comments in a lighter vein.

"I wanted to say lakh, but said crore," he said on Tuesday and asserted he spent Rs 23 lakh on his election campaign.

The Election Commission (EC) has set expenditure limit of Rs 40 lakh for each candidate in assembly polls.


Solanke, who won from Majalgaon in the November 2024 assembly polls, made the election expenditure remarks at a public meeting at Vadvani in Beed district on Sunday. A video of his speech has gone viral on social media.

"Candidates get elected by spending a lot of money. People said that in the last elections, one candidate spent Rs 45 crore. I heard that another (candidate) spent Rs 35 crore. However, I limited (my expenses) to just Rs 10-12 crore," Solanke was heard saying in the viral video.

"It is not necessary to have money to win elections. The faith of common people, development work and justice for common people is important in politics and money is secondary," he was further heard saying in the clip.

Asked about his remarks at the event, Solanke told reporters that he made the claim in jest.

"The party gave me Rs 40 lakh as election fund. I spent Rs 23 lakh and returned the rest," he contended.