NAVEENA GHANATE
Hyderabad
BRS campaign material and funds have already been delivered to most of its candidates. Many BRS candidates confirmed that campaign material has already reached them. However, expenses are different for different candidates. Sources indicated that some BRS candidates were allegedly given up to Rs 10 crore while some reportedly got Rs 15 crore. Sources said that normally there are candidates who can bear their own election expenses and only a few need financial aid. BRS candidates are already worried about their expenditures in the next 52 days. They point out that the BJP and the Congress have not declared their candidates. So many BRS candidates are in wait-and-watch mode and are careful about spending.
But the BRS announced 115 candidates on August 21 itself. So there are 101 days of expenses of which 52 days are left.
“In the election schedule, we are the last. So we will have to spend more than our counterparts in the four other states. Moreover, there are festivals of Bathukamma, Dussehra and Diwali which need to be taken into account. There were huge expenses during Ganesh Chaturthi. Undoubtedly, this is getting very expensive,” sources said.
A BRS candidate said that people are coming and demanding donations for celebrations which is common during elections but what is new this time is that many new faces have also come.
