Ori Devuda ; The 2014 elections crucial for UPA and also NDA is all said to cost over Rs.37,500 crore for electioneering .
According to a study by the Centre for Media studies , the cost of electioneering , campaign and publicity has been going up manifold since 1990.What was just one or Two crore per assembly segment in 2000 has now shot up to a minimum of Rsl5 crore per assembly seat and Rs.100 crore for Parliament segment.
Sources say that the cost included the campaign vehicles, campaign team of 15 per vehicles (two shifts),Rs.5000 in cost per day .gift items , flexis, public meetings, star campaigners fees and also finally the cost of food beverages and cash and liquor disbursements on the eve of polling day .
Sources said that several FMCG companies have also come up to manufacture gift items at affordable costs for election purposes . ' Nobody questioned the quality of such gift items but only greedy to get them ' said a campaigner. Gift items include, laptops, mobiles, household gadgets, clothing. Liquor and ash disbursements are also given to contractors to do it on a phased manner without attracting election commission wrath
