SEC seeks Rs 750 cr from state for poll expenditure

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Election Commissioner Satyabrata Sahoo said the State Election Commission has sought Rs 750 crore from the state government for election expenditure.

“We have asked Rs 750 crore from the TN government for the election expenditure. The expenditure limit has been enhanced from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 95 lakh per candidate,” said Sahoo in a statement and noted that the first time voters, aged 18-19 years, have breached 10-lakh mark following the enrollment drive. As on date, there were 10,45,470 first time voters in the state.

The Commission would establish 68,144 booths for the April 19 polls in 39 constituencies in the state, he said, who held review meetings with senior officials and election officers from across the state through video conferencing from Secretariat on Monday.

He added that they have received as many as 141 complaints through C Vigil Application. Of them, 21 complaints have been received from Chennai. Most of the complaints were regarding the propaganda materials and posters. Surveillance team equipped with cameras has been formed for each Assembly constituency, he said and noted that they have fitted GPS in each vehicle of flying squads and their movements and activities would be monitored from the centralised control room from the Secretariat. Star campaigners can apply and obtain approval letter from the Commission till March 27.

No symbol allocated for Seeman’s party

As of now, the EC did not allocate a symbol for director-turned-politician Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi for the Lok Sabha polls, he informed.