SEC urged to take action against money spenders in the local body polls

Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Dasoju Sravan urged the State Election Commission to take action against candidates spending massive amounts of money thus diluting the spirit of the democracy.

In a letter addressed to the SEC, he referred to news reports on how a candidate in Moinabad had spent ₹7 crore to win a ward in the Municipal polls, and urged the SEC to conduct a special audit of a winning candidate’s election expenditure and assets apart from an independent investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau into the source of election funds. He also sought his disqualification under Section 10A of the RPA, 1951, if expenditure violations are established.

In his letter, Mr. Sravan argued that an independent candidate in the Moinabad municipal elections allegedly spent an estimated ₹7 crore to secure victory by a margin of over 200 votes. The letter claims, as per news reports, that voters were allegedly bribed with ₹70,000 per vote and 25 kg of rice per household.

The letter further highlights a similar claim from Medak district, where a real estate businessman allegedly boasted of spending ₹13 crore to win a Sarpanch election, and it reflected the alarming monetisation of grassroots democracy.

He said this was a direct violation of provisions of the RPA, 1951, including corrupt practices such as bribery and undue influence. The letter also points to violations of the Model Code of Conduct, stating that the distribution of cash and goods during elections constitutes a criminal offence under existing penal laws.

Describing the situation as a ‘death of local democracy’, the complainant warned that elections are increasingly being treated as financial investments rather than democratic contests. He argued that pricing votes effectively excludes ordinary citizens from meaningful participation in the democratic process. It warns that if such practices go unchecked, they could permanently damage public trust in elections and governance. Copies of the representation have also been forwarded to the Governor of Telangana.