Elections 2014: Poll cost up from Rs 10 cr in 1952 to Rs 846 cr in '14

Government’s expenditure on conducting elections has gone up by a whopping 80 times to nearly Rs 850 crore in the last 60 years

New Delhi: Government’s expenditure on conducting elections has gone up by a whopping 80 times to nearly Rs 850 crore in the last 60 years. A total of Rs 10.45 crore was spent on the country’s first election in 1952. As much as Rs 846.66 crore was spent during last general elections in 2009, according to data released by the government.

The entire expenditure on actual conduct of elections to Lok Sabha is borne by the government, and such expenditure on elections to state legislatures by the respective state governments, when such elections are held independently.

If concurrent elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly are held, then the expenses are shared between the central and respective state governments.

India will spend over Rs 5,000 crore in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, with around Rs 10 crore estimated to be spent on each constituency on an average, as per the Election Commission’s estimates.

814 million
Total registered voters

11 million
Staff drafted to oversee polls

930,000
Total polling booth

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