General Elections are held to elect representatives
for Lok Sabha after normally, every five years. Every election requires a huge
amount of resources and efforts, be it planning, labour, technology, and for
that matter, money. From the first Lok Sabha Elections in 1951-52 till the
fifteenth in 2009, it has been a long journey for democracy. Government’s
expenditure on an elector has gone up manifold, twenty times to be precise,
from the first General Elections to the Fifteenth General Elections. In the
first elections, the Government spent Rs 0.60 on an elector whereas it went on
spending Rs 12 in 2009 General Elections. Considering expenditure in absolute
terms, Rs 10.45 Crore were spent in 1951-52 whereas Rs 846.67 Crore was the amount
the Government spent for 2009 General Elections.
Cost wise, 2004 General Elections was the
heaviest on government exchequer with about Rs 1114 Crore spent in the
elections. This was the elections when per elector cost was also the highest.
Government spent Rs 17 on an elector. Significantly, there was increase in the
election cost by 17.53% vis-à-vis 1999 General Elections even when there was
reduction in number of polling stations by 11.26%.
In first Six General Elections, cost per
elector was less than a rupee, but coming elections saw rapid growth in
Election Expenditure. Keeping devaluation of money owing to inflation into
account, the rise in cost could be attributed to increased level of democratic
activities. Many political parties started into being; more independents were
now participating. Various voter-friendly initiatives like voter awareness campaigns,
distribution of voter slip ahead of election date, use of Voter Verified Paper
Audit Trail (VVPAT) for the first time in General Elections 2014, may increase
expenditure further but these efforts are focussed at strengthening the very
structure and values of democracy.
It may be known that the entire expenditure
on actual conduct of elections to Lok Sabha is borne by Government of India.
But expenditure towards law & order maintenance is born by respective State
Governments.
Election Expenditure by Central Government for all fifteen Lok
Sabha Elections is as
follows:-
|
Year
|
Expenditure (In Cr Rs)
|
No of Electors
|
Expenditure
per elector (In Rs)
|
Polling Station
|
|
1952
|
10.45
|
17,32,12,343
|
0.6
|
1,96,084
|
|
1957
|
5.9
|
19,36,52,179
|
0.3
|
2,20,478
|
|
1962
|
7.32
|
21,63,61,569
|
0.3
|
2,38,031
|
|
1967
|
10.8
|
25,02,07,401
|
0.4
|
2,43,693
|
|
1971
|
11.61
|
27,41,89,132
|
0.4
|
3,42,918
|
|
1977
|
23.04
|
32,11,74,327
|
0.7
|
3,73,910
|
|
1980
|
54.77
|
35,62,05,329
|
1.5
|
4,36,813
|
|
1984-85 $
|
81.51
|
40,03,75,333
|
2
|
5,06,058
|
|
1989
|
154.22
|
49,89,06,129
|
3.1
|
5,80,798
|
|
1991-92 #
|
359.1
|
5,11,533,598
|
7
|
5,91,020 *
|
|
1996
|
597.34
|
59,25,72,288
|
10
|
7,67,462
|
|
1998
|
666.22
|
60,58,80,192
|
11
|
7,73,494
|
|
1999
|
947.68
|
61,95,36,847
|
15
|
7,74,651
|
|
2004
|
1113.88
|
67,14,87,930
|
17
|
6,87,402
|
|
2009
|
846.67
|
71,69,85,101
|
12
|
8,30,866
|
* Excludes J&K in 1991-92
1989 to 2009 General Elections’ Expenditure figures
are provisional
$ Elections were held separately for States of Assam & Punjab in 1985
# Elections were held separately for State of Punjab
in 1992
(Source: Ministry of
Law and Social Justice & ECI website)
Election Expenditure 
***
Source: Election Commission of
India
PIB General Election Team- For more
Backgrounders/Information Pl visit www. pib.nic.in