At Rs 44 cr, BJP was biggest spender in 2014 Haryana polls

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 25

The BJP was the biggest spender among parties in fray from Haryana in the 2014 Assembly polls, shelling out over Rs 44 crore with a big chunk going towards media advertising.   

As per details submitted to the EC, a sum of Rs 31.83 crore was spent on both print and electronic media during the 2014 Assembly poll, which comes to over 72%. The party’s central headquarters spent Rs 5.67 crore (12.9%) on star campaigners alone, including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Gen VK Singh (retd), Smriti Irani, Rao Inderjeet Singh, JP Nadda, Hema Malini and Sushma Swaraj.

The publicity material included posters, banners, badges, stickers, arches, gates, cutouts, hoarding and flags which cost about Rs 2.09 crore (4.8%). On the party’s ‘Rath Campaign,’ the expenditure incurred was Rs 46.31 lakh. It also spent Rs 45 lakh on a poll survey.

The state unit of the BJP separately spent Rs 41.16 lakh on media publicity, Rs 40.17 lakh on publicity material and Rs 28.68 lakh on other propaganda. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, besides the money spent by the party’s central unit, the state unit spent Rs 18.9 lakh of which Rs 7.22 lakh went towards media advertisements (over 38%). While out of power, the money spent by the BJP’s central office in the 2009 Assembly polls was just Rs 8.8 crore and the state unit Rs 1.16 crore. 

Congress spent Rs 11 crore

The Haryana state Congress declared an expenditure of Rs 11.03 crore in the Assembly polls. The expenses on media advertisement were Rs 10.63 crore, which is 98.4% of the total expenditure.   

The party expenditure on publicity was nil and on public meetings, processions and rallies a mere Rs 2.04 lakh. No money was given to candidates for electioneering. The expense incurred on star campaigners was Rs 35.84 lakh. 

The expenses involved air trips and helicopter journeys, including those of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Ashok Tanwar, Capt Amarinder Singh, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Deepender Hooda. 

The party incurred an expenditure of Rs 2.41 crore of which Rs 2.17 crore, over 90%, was on media advertisements and Rs 11.59 lakh on publicity material. In the 2009 Assembly polls, the Congress spent Rs 10.77 crore of which Rs 4.66 crore (43.3%) was on electronic media, Rs 2.74 crore (25.4%) on the print. It gave Rs 3.15 crore to its candidates.    

INLD expenses Rs 3.94 crore

The INLD spent Rs 3.94 crore in the 2014 Assembly polls of which Rs 2.39 crore (60.7%) went towards media advertisements, Rs 1.29 crore on star campaigners and Rs 12.63 lakh on publicity material. The party didn’t incur expenditure during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2009 Assembly polls, it spent Rs 2.18 crore — as much as Rs 81.44 lakh on electronic media and Rs 1.04 crore on the print media advertisements.

Priority of voters in state

Better employment opportunities   44.61%

Agriculture loan availability   40.36% 

Higher price realisation for farm products   33.8%

• Other issues: Drinking water (25%), agriculture subsidy (24%) and better hospitals (20.48%). However, better roads, public transport and law & order are low on voters’ agenda
• Urban Haryana: After better employment opportunities, it is traffic congestion where 55% showed their concern. Water and air pollution are talked about by 50% respondents
• Rural Haryana: After agriculture loan availability and higher price realisation for farm products, it is the availability of water for agriculture  sought by 49% respondents ADR survey