No unanimity on issue of state funding of elections: Govt

Government on Monday said that there is no unanimity on the issue of state funding of elections and the provision of corporate houses giving donations to political parties was a sort of state funding.

Government on Monday said that there is no unanimity on the issue of state funding of elections and the provision of corporate houses giving donations to political parties was a sort of state funding.

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"I do not feel this matter has any scope at this stage," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told CPI(M) leader Basudev Acharia who had moved an amendment to the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha seeking state funding for elections.

The House turned down by voice vote the amendment after Leader of Opposition L K Advani as also RJD leader Lalu Prasad spoke in favour of state funding with Advani saying he has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard.

The Prime Minister, Advani said, replied to him saying he has forwarded the letter to the finance minister.

Mukherjee said that there has been talk of electoral reforms for long and various committees had gone into it, including one headed by late Indrajit Gupta of which Manmohan Singh was also a member. The committee also considered the issue but "there was no consensus".

Besides the Finance Minister pointed out that the provision of corporate houses creating a fund for the purpose was also a part of state funding as "they get tax exemption".