Patna:

The campaigning blitz of

during the 2015 Bihar assembly polls cost the saffron party over Rs 135 crore, including an expenditure of Rs 31.30 crore on 157 candidates. The party, though, failed to earn even a simple majority in the 243 member house.

In stark contrast, chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), a constituent of Mahagathbandhan, spent just about Rs 14 crore on the electoral exercise last year.

As per the rules of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the parties have to file the expenditure report within 75 days of conclusion of the assembly polls. However, two other constituents of Mahagathbandhan – Congress and Lalu Prasad’s RJD –are yet to file the details of the expenses and have been issued second reminders on March 1 by the commission.

The expenditure report submitted by the BJP to the Election Commission of India (ECI) shows that the party was the biggest spender in publicity. An election aid of Rs 20 lakh was given to all party candidates (except Suresh Rai from Morwa seat who was given Rs 10 lakh), while the expenses on its star campaigners totalled to Rs 14.57 crore. No less than Rs 39.89 crore was spent on print, electronic advertisements and SMSes while publicity materials such as banners and posters cost it Rs 10.46 crore.

According to affidavit filed by BJP office secretary Arun Kumar Jain, the much popularised ‘rath campaigns’ of the party cost it Rs 5.71 crore.

NDA constituent Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) spent Rs 61.93 lakh of which Rs 29 lakh was spent on 42 candidates fielded by it while the rest was spent on publicity. Another BJP ally and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha’s party, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), spent Rs 52.74 lakh on

of which Rs 38.25 lakh was spent on its 23 candidates.

The ruling JD(U), which contested 101 seats and won 71 of them, spent Rs 13.64 crore on general party propaganda, including Rs 2.28 crore on helicopters. The party spent Rs 9.70 crore on publicity materials and Rs 5.12 lakh on print, electronic ads and SMSes, as per the expense report filed by party general secretary Javed Raza. On its candidates, JD(U) spent on Rs 30 lakh.

Other smaller parties which have submitted their expenditure report include Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party which contested 228 seats and spent Rs 4.46 crore, Nationalist Congress party which contested 41 seats and spent Rs 1.68 crore, CPI which contested 98 seats and spent Rs 1.25 crore, CPM which contested 43 seats and spent Rs 43.57 lakh and Maharashtra-based Shiv Sena which contested 73 seats and spent Rs 8.04 lakh on Bihar polls.