The candidates in the upcoming Telangana Assembly elections may face huge expenditure of about 30-40% more comparing with the previous polls due to several reasons including the demand from the voters. Especially, those who are the contenders from the assembly segments under the jurisdiction of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and its outskirts must bear at least Rs. 10 crores. Though the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the cutoff expenditure as Rs. 28 lakh, majority candidates are preparing for spending up to Rs. 15 crore. “I need to win this time. Comparing with earlier elections and campaigns, this time voters are demanding A/C vehicles for attending public meetings where we used to transport them by buses and trucks. The price of Diesel is almost reached petrol price. This time the polls are life and death issue for majority of candidates,” a contestant from Hyderabad told ‘Telugu360’.
“The candidates without any wealth may not get on in Serilingampally, Rajendranagar, Kukatpally, Uppal, L.B.Nagar, Ibrahimpatnam and Medchal segments apart from the 14 constituencies in Hyderabad city,” another candidate told. Besides these, he added, “The expenditure at Tandur, Kodangal and Maheswaram may also more this time.”
Due to the more estimations on expenditure majority of the candidates and aspirants are selling their lands at the outskirts to the city. “Two decades ago, a leader had purchased 100 acre of lands in outskirts earlier at Rs. 1 lakh per each acre. Now, the value is raised to Rs. 1 crore per acre and the leader is ready to sell half of his property for the election expenditure. Most of the aspirants at the outskirts are following the similar solution in order to gather required funds. A leader from Vikarabad has recently sold his property located in Ghatkesar,” a source said.
Political experts are saying that the less time to polls is also leading to more expenditure. “Earlier, candidates and aspirants had time to prepare for elections as the EC used to organize it as per schedule which was depending on the term completion of the respective State’s assembly. This time due to the dissolution of the Assembly by the TRS, they are facing early elections,” they explained.
