Why limit campaign spending illogically?

The Election Commission has set the highest limit of spending in election campaigning for candidates to Tk 25 lakh. This is an impractical policy. In several constituencies, the number of voters is more than 5-6 lakh. So, a candidate is supposed to spend Tk 4-5 for each voter.

While this in itself is an illogical policy, candidates are making a mockery of it. The number of posters, flyers and leaflets certain candidates have put up, the amount of money they spend at each rally, the number of campaign offices they have set up—all these suggest that they are spending way more than the prescribed limit, not to mention the illegal spending of directly handing out money.

We call on the election commission to monitor the spending of candidates. It cannot sit idly by as certain candidates flout rules. The EC should have allowed the candidates to spend more and made it mandatory for them to disclose the source of the money they spend in elections to begin with.

Faisal Kabir, Chittagong