Chai, Irani Samosa, Idly, Pulihora, Biryani- EC fixes food rates for Telangana campaign

Hyderabad: Idly one plate (4 pieces) Rs 20, Wada (2 pieces) Rs 20, Vegetable meal Rs 80, 750 grams Veg Biryani Rs 115, Chicken Biryani Rs 170, Mutton Biryani Rs 180, Egg Biryani Rs 135, Veg fried rice Rs 90, Tea small cup Rs 5 and big cup Rs 10, coffee Rs 6 and Rs 1. No liquor, no cool drinks, please!

Wonder what’s the rates about? It’s the tariff fixed by the Election Commission in Hyderabad District for candidates/parties to be spent during the campaign in the Assembly elections 2023.

Similarly, a candidate is allowed to spend Rs 40 for 300-gram Puli hora (Tamarind rice), Rs 3 on Irani Samosa (small), and Rs 10 on a piece of Alu Samosa.

EC also fixed the rates for drinking water: A water packet Rs 2, a water bottle 200 ML Rs 6, a water bottle of 500 ML Rs 10, and a water bottle 1 liter Rs 20.

Though liquor is widely prevalent in elections, it’s a forbidden item in the EC list.

District Election Officer, Hyderabad District, and GHMC Commissioner D Ronald Ross fixed rates for various items during electioneering, which the candidates have to submit in their election expenditure in consultation with political parties and contesting candidates during the election campaign in connection with the General Election to the Telangana State Legislative Assembly 2023.

The election campaign is in full swing and the polling will take place on November 30. The results will be out on December 3.

The Election Commission of India has fixed Rs 40 lakh per candidate as the maximum election expenditure in Hyderabad District and Telangana State.

However, many candidates from major parties assert the overall expenditure for an Assembly constituency varies between Rs 10 crore to Rs 25 crore, depending on the candidate and constituency,

Rates have also been fixed for the hiring of loudspeakers with amplifiers, microphones, podium, pandal, cloth banners, flags, handbills, posters, flexes, hoardings per month, posters on auto rickshaws, pillar boards, flex wall hangings, wall paintings, cut-outs (wooden, cloth, plastics), photographer, videographer, video cassettes, arches, shawls, party calendars, hiring of vehicles, hiring of hotels, guest houses, party offices (actual rate as per GST invoice), hiring charges for furniture like chairs, sofas, fixtures etc, LED screen, music including Dappu, Band, balloons, Flower bouquets, tents, tables, chairs, etc.

For hiring function halls, it has fixed a rate of Rs 6,200 for small function halls, Rs 62,000 for big halls, and Rs 1.25 lakh for AC function halls.

Other items that are not covered and recorded by the election monitoring teams will be calculated as per the local prevailing rates and the same will be booked against the candidates.

Expenditure on each polling agent, counting agent, and worker refreshments has been fixed at Rs 170!

“Some are reasonable, but most items do not align with the ground reality. It’s the demand and supply that matters. No worker will help a party for such a paltry amount. We have to pay a day’s wage plus food besides vehicles,” a BRS leader said.

According to a BJP worker Raju from Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency, most parties pay Rs 500 per party worker per day--9 am to 5 pm-- for the election campaign along with lunch now and Rs 1000 for booth level workers on polling day.

“Ruling BRS and Congress take care of workers more magnanimously. Most BJP workers are committed to party ideal and adjust to whatever is given,” he said.