The BJP and BJD MLAs who won the recent elections have spent much less than the expenditure limit stipulated for them.

As per the Election Commission, the expenditure limit during the Odisha Assembly election was ₹40 lakh.

Though there is a public perception that virtual campaigns dominated the election, 139 (95 per cent) out of 147 MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on virtual campaigns.

This startling information came when the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Odisha Election Watch analysed all election expenditure statements submitted by the newly elected MLAs. These reports were released recently.

These election expense documents include details of expenses on public meetings and processions, campaigning through electronic and print media, expenses for campaign workers, expenses on vehicles used, the virtual campaigns, the publishing of declarations regarding criminal cases and expenses on campaign materials.

The candidate expenditure limit for Odisha Assembly elections 2024 was ₹ 40 lakh. Out of 147 MLAs analysed, 21 (14 per cent) MLAs have declared election expenses less than 50% of the expense limit in their constituency. The average amount of money spent by them in the elections is ₹ 26.22 lakh, which is 66 per cent of the expense limit.

The party-wise average election expenses show that the average spending for 78 MLAs from BJP is ₹ 25.39 lakh (63.5% of the expense limit), for 51 MLAs from BJD it is ₹31.17 lakh (77.9% of the expense limit), for 14 MLAs from INC is ₹14.54 lakh (36.4% of the expense limit), for one MLAs from CPI (M) is ₹36.57 lakh (91.4% of the expense limit) and three independent MLAs have spent ₹14.77 lakh (36.9% of the expense limit).

What is most interesting is that 16 (11%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on public meetings, processions etc. with star campaigners (other than those for general party propaganda). Fifty-eight (39%) MLAs have declared that they have spent funds on campaigning through electronic/print media and 89 (61%) MLAs have declared that they have not spent any funds on campaigning through electronic/print media.

Out of the total funds received by MLAs, 84 per cent funds were raised from political parties, 8 per cent were raised by MLAs themselves and 8 per cent funds were raised from other sources.

Of the 147 MLAs analyzed, 132 (90%) MLAs have declared that they have received funds from political parties and 15 (10%) MLAs have declared that they have not received any funds from political parties. 77 (52%) MLAs have declared that they have not received any funds from any person/ company/ firm/ associations/ body of persons etc as a loan, gift or donation etc.

On average, an MLA from BJD raised 94.15%, and on average, an MLA from BJP raised 84.64% of his or her election expense funds from the political party. The Congress MLA mostly depended on donations or loans. On an average, an MLA from Congress raised 32.66% of his or her election expense funds from any person, company, firm, association or body of persons etc. as a loan, gift or donation. Similarly, an MLA from the BJP raised on an average 8.62% of their expense funds from any person, company, firm, association or body of persons etc. as a loan, gift or donation.