Now Reading: DMK, AITC Spent Over Rs. 265 Crore in 2021 Polls
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DMK, AITC Spent Over Rs. 265 Crore in 2021 Polls
The DMK and Trinamool Congress spent more than Rs. 265 crore on campaigns during the 2021 State elections, according to expenditure reports submitted to the Election Commission of India. Each spent over…
The Story in Brief
The DMK and Trinamool Congress spent more than Rs. 265 crore on campaigns during the 2021 State elections, according to expenditure reports submitted to the Election Commission of India. Each spent over Rs. 50 lakh per contested Assembly seat. The AIADMK devoted 99.5% of its spending to party propaganda, relying almost entirely on media and advertisements. The DMK and AITC divided their funds roughly equally between candidates and party propaganda.
The Congress used different strategies across the five elections. The AITC spent most on star campaigners, while the DMK reduced rally spending during COVID-19 restrictions and increased expenditure on publicity materials. The AIADMK’s strategy changed sharply from 2016.
The Indian Opinion
The figures challenge both the claim that campaign spending follows one uniform model and the easy assumption that bigger spending means better organisation. Parties made different choices, from advertising to star campaigners and candidate support. But these reports show declared expenditure, not necessarily the full cost of political influence. The useful test is whether future filings make party-wise and constituency-wise spending easier to compare.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
