SP candidates spent the most in Assembly polls

Samajwadi Party candidates spent a total of Rs 33.4 crore in the Assembly elections, followed by Congress candidates with Rs 31.53 crore, BSP candidates with Rs 29.39 crore and BJP candidates with Rs 26.12 crore, according to information compiled by the UP Chief Electoral Office.

Of the 6,839 candidates who contested the election, as many as 6,091 have submitted details of their expenditure and the CEO office has posted these on its website. Of these, 1,798 candidates of six national and two state political parties spent more than Rs 126 crore.

Among the state political parties, the SP contested 401 seats and won the maximum of 224 seats. Rashtriya Lok Dal, another state-level party, which contested in alliance with Congress, fielded candidates on 46 seats and spent around Rs 3.47 crore.

Among the national parties, Congress fielded its candidates in 355 seats.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was the only political outfit that contested all 403 Assembly seats and its candidates spent Rs 29.39 crore. The BJP contested 398 seats, won 47, and its candidates spent around Rs 26.12 crore.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) contested 127 constituencies and won only one seat. Its candidates spent Rs 1.69 crore on poll campaign.

All 51 candidates of Communist Party of India (CPI) spent Rs 61.6 lakh. The 17 candidates of Communist Party of India (Marxist) spent Rs 44.18 lakh. Both CPI and CPM failed to win any seat in UP.

Candidates have also declared the financial assistance they received from the respective parties to contest the elections.

The Election Commission had fixed the expenditure limit at Rs 16 lakh for the Assembly elections for individual candidates.

Peace Party candidate in Pilibhit Azam Mir Khan declared the maximum expenditure of 15.78 lakh, while SP's Prempal Singh Yadav in Dataganj spent Rs 15.58 lakh, followed by Vijendra Pal Yadav of the same party in Padrauna at Rs 15.44 lakh.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Johns Hopkins University invites Shivpal Yadav to deliver lecture on flood control

Priyanka Gandhi interviews candidates for ward presidents

Akhilesh's American road show in limbo with SP taking belligerent anti-US stand

Salman Khurshid behind US airport detention: Azam Khan