Kathmandu — Senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSPP) Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, who has filed his candidacy from Jhapa-5, will be allowed to spend up to Rs 3.1 million in the upcoming House of Representatives election. The Election Commission has fixed this expenditure ceiling for candidates contesting in Jhapa-5 for the election scheduled on Falgun 21.
Along with Balen Shah, CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also contesting from Jhapa-5, will be permitted to spend the same amount. According to the Election Commission, the spending limit is determined on the basis of constituency-specific factors and applies equally to all candidates contesting from that constituency.
Although the official spending ceiling in Jhapa-5 has been set at Rs 3.1 million, political observers estimate that the actual election expenditure in the constituency could run into several crores of rupees. As per election regulations, however, candidates are required to submit their official expense details within the prescribed limit.
In other constituencies, the election expenditure ceiling has been set lower. Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, who has filed his candidacy from Rukum East representing the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), will be allowed to spend up to Rs 2.7 million.
Similarly, former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, contesting from Gorkha-2, has been allocated an expenditure limit of Rs 2.9 million. The same limit applies to former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who is contesting from Rautahat-1, and Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa, who has filed his candidacy from Sarlahi-4.
The Election Commission has stated that all candidates must strictly adhere to the designated spending limits and submit detailed expense reports within the stipulated timeframe after the election. Failure to comply with the expenditure rules may invite legal action as per prevailing election laws.
