FM Nirmala Sitharaman has no money to contest Lok Sabha polls: Here's how much it costs to fight elections in India

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declined BJP President JP Nadda’s offer to contest Lok Sabha polls. Wonder why? Because the country’s finance minister says she does not have ‘to fight elections.

Imagine, if a union minister, that too who holds the finance portfolio, doesn't have the money to fight polls, how much does a candidate need to contest an assembly or a Lok Sabha election in India? Let's take a look: 

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The cost of contesting an election depends on the wealth that the candidate has. But there is also a cap on expenditure by the Election Commission of India. 

For a Lok Sabha seat, a candidate can spend not more than ₹95 lakh for bigger constituencies with more voters, and up to ₹75 lakh for smaller constituencies.

The limit for assembly constituencies is ₹40 lakh for a bigger seat and ₹20 lakh for a seat with a smaller size and fewer voters.

But in reality, this expenditure cap is rarely adhered to. Apart from expenses for campaigning, candidates are known to spend money on freebies to entice voters.

Finance Minister has never contested for which a candidate needs hectic campaigning. She has been a Rajya Sabha member, which of course doesn't require that kind of people connect and campaigning strategies.

She declared a net worth of about ₹ in her affidavit when she contested the Rajya Sabha polls in 2016.

So far in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with declared assets worth over ₹583 crore, Ashok Kumar, the . There will be more candidates filing nominations for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections 2024 beginning on April 19.

Clearly, elections and money go hand in hand. The wealthier you are, the easier it is for you to fight elections. But remember, being rich doesn't guarantee you a victory in