Hold all party meet on Election funding; Mamata to PM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to call an all party meeting on public funding of the elections.

Referring to the report by Centre for Media Studies, Mamata pointed out that 2019 Lok Sabha elections was the most expensive election ever and that it was necessary to weed out corruption.

“Given the examples across the world on direct public funding of political parties and given that India has gained notoriety having spent the largest amount of fund in 2019 in the world, particularly because of the concerns of corruption, I urge you call an all party meeting with the single agenda of public funding of elections in India...” she stated .

The chief minister also argued that the move is necessary for transparent election.

“ For a free, fair and transparent election in India we urgently need electoral reforms which includes government funding of elections,” stated Banerjee.

She also pointed out that while the expenditure for the US Presidential and Congressional elections in 2016 was $ 6.5 billion, the expenditure of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in India amounted to $8.65 billion, the most expensive election in the world.

“ Going by the current spending figures it is apprehended that in the 2024 general elections the poll expenditure could cross Rs 1 lakh crore,” she said.

Pointing out that currently there is government funding of elections in 65 countries across world, Mamata argued that the key electoral reform is necessary to prevent corruption in the polity.