Indore (Madhya Pradesh): If a candidate for the Lok Sabha polls attends any community feast or langar to meet the voters, then the expenditure incurred on such social function will be considered as election expenditure of the candidate and it will be included in his election expenditure account.
The Election Commission of India has issued fresh directives in this regard. The Commission has said that the expenditure of any such community lunch and dinner programmes organised to meet the voters called by any name and organised by the candidate himself or by any other person will be included in the election expenses of the candidate.
The Election Commission has also clarified that this instruction will not apply to the general feast of langar, banquet or a function like wedding, death etc. traditionally organised by religious communities inside their institutions. The expenditure incurred on such community feast, langar etc. will not be included in the election expenditure of the candidate provided that the candidate participates in it as an ordinary visitor.
The Commission has also given instructions to the monitoring parties and election officials to ensure that the candidate has not made any financial contribution in such community banquets etc. and that no political campaign has been carried out in any way in such community banquets.
