Ludhiana | Candidates’ spending limited to ₹40 lakh

Ludhiana election officer Virinder Kumar Sharma said the candidates will only be able to spend only on rallies, campaign materials, advertisements, vehicles and other miscellaneous activities required for elections.

Ahead of the Punjab assembly polls, the district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner limited the campaign expenditure to ₹40 lakh on Sunday.

They will have to open a joint bank or postal account in their name or with their election agent a day before filling the nomination papers. Candidates must incur all election expenses from this account. (Representative Image/ HT File)

Ludhiana election officer Virinder Kumar Sharma said the candidates will only be able to spend only on rallies, campaign materials, advertisements, vehicles and other miscellaneous activities required for elections. They will have to open a joint bank or postal account in their name or with their election agent a day before filling the nomination papers. Candidates must incur all election expenses from this account. A payment up to ₹10,000 can be made in cash, while a cheque will be drawn for a higher sum.

He also advised the political parties to not use illegal means such as distribution of liquor and drugs, distribution of cash, and distribution of gifts. the election commission will send special expenditure observers to monitor the expenditure being incurred by candidates, several teams are also being formed at the local level. The spendings will have to be regularly logged in a daily expense register. The same expenditures will be recorded by the Election Commission, and both registers should match. Bills and vouchers for all expenses from filing of nomination papers till the result will be kept. Approval of each expenditure must be obtained from the returning officer concerned.

Anti-sabotage teams to conduct random checks

With the election announced, anti-sabotage teams have been asked to conduct random checks in the city on a daily basis. The teams have been asked to check public places, religious places, markets and malls. The police teams are proactive as Republic Day is also around the corner.

The deputy Commissioner and commissioner of police, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, also held a meeting with members of flying squad teams (FST) and static surveillance teams at Police Lines. The team members said they will be checking roadside vends and heaps of debris, besides all important public places – including the railway station, bus stand, crowded markets, parks and religious places.