Following stiff opposition by the Election Commission and Left allies, the UPA coalition may approach state governments for their opinion before introducing government funding of polls.

The Commission has said that the government should pay for the entire poll expense of the netas, with political parties and their candidates disallowed to spend an extra rupee.

However, it said, if the government still decided to go ahead with its NCMP promise of partial state funding, small doles such as rent-free office accommodation, free telephone calls and petrol or diesel could be handed out (See box).

Using these recommendations, the Law Ministry has left it to the Cabinet to either approve the Commission’s list or take the state governments’ opinion.

The Ministry’s own view is that accepting the “proposed measures would ensure lessening of burden of the burgeoning election expenses over the recognized political parties and their candidates and will be helpful in curbing the menace of money power in elections to some extent.”

The Cabinet last December had asked EC to consult political parties and outline the support that could be extended to parties and their candidates to lessen their financial burden.

After a meeting with leaders of six national and 28 state parties in February, the Commission found out although there was complete unanimity on the need for curbing money power in elections, there was no unanimous opinion on state funding.

Its own view was that such half-hearted measures would not curb the use of money power in elections. “The proposals, if implemented in the present form, will only add to the resources available to the candidates of recognized parties at the cost of the state exchequer,” it wrote to the Ministry of Law & Justice.

... contd.