Delhi, 29 March (H.S): As the Lok Sabha elections approach, candidates in Punjab's Jalandhar can spend Rs 15 for a cup of tea and the same price for a samosa they offer to people during public meetings and campaign trails. However, in contrast, candidates in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla can only spend Rs 7 for a cup of tea and Rs 7.50 for a samosa.

These rates, set by district poll panels as part of the election expenditure monitoring process, often become a subject of criticism on social media for not being in sync with the current inflation level. In most states, the expenditure ceiling for a Lok Sabha candidate is set at Rs 95 lakh, while it ranges from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 95 lakh for union territories.

The rate cards also vary in terms of food items, with Jalandhar having chole bhature at Rs 40 while Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh has idli and sambhar vada at Rs 20. In Manipur's Thoubal district, tea and samosas are priced at Rs 10 each, while candidates in Tengnoupal district can only spend Rs 5 for black tea and Rs 10 for milk tea. With these limits in place, candidates will have to carefully manage their expenses during the campaign period.

Hindusthan Samachar/ Indrani Sarkar