Nagpur: In the race for six Legislative Assembly seats in Nagpur (Rural), Shiv Sena (Shinde) candidate Adv Ashish Jaiswal from Ramtek has emerged as the highest spender, with BJP’s Dr. Ashish Deshmukh from Saoner coming in second, according to expenditure data maintained by the Election Expenditure Office.
The office uses a Shadow Observation Register (SOR) to track each candidate’s spending, which is then compared with the candidate’s self-reported expenses in a Candidate Register. Any discrepancies prompt a reconciliation process, explained Dipak Anand, Election Observer for Ramtek.
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Tuesday 12 Nov. 2024
As per the SOR, Adv Jaiswal’s spending during the campaign totaled Rs 21,09,578, while he reported an expenditure of Rs 19,01,189. His rival from Shiv Sena (UBT), Vishal Barbate, declared an expenditure of Rs 11,05,572, consistent with the SOR. In the same constituency, independent candidate Chandrapal Chouksey spent Rs 6,64,266.
In Saoner, Dr. Ashish Deshmukh reported expenses of Rs 14,25,082, making him the second-highest spender. Congress candidate Anuja Sunil Kedar, also from Saoner, reported Rs 1,61,100 in spending, though SOR records her expenditure at Rs 8,18,268, reflecting a significant difference of Rs 6,57,168. This variance continues from an earlier report, which showed a discrepancy of Rs 4,55,733.
For Katol constituency, NCP (SP) candidate Salil Deshmukh reported Rs 3,62,955 in spending, while the SOR lists his expenditure at Rs 13,37,745. BJP’s Charansingh Thakur recorded expenses of Rs 3,30,510, consistent with the SOR.
In Umred, Congress’s Sanjay Meshram reported spending Rs 6,29,287, with BJP opponent Sudhir Parve close behind at Rs 5,11,460. BSP candidate Bhimrao Gajbhiye’s expenditures matched the SOR with Rs 3,76,432.
In Hingna, BJP’s Sameer Meghe spent Rs 8,06,025, compared to Rs 6,46,582 by NCP (SP)’s Rameshchandra Bang, though discrepancies exist between their SOR data and self-reported expenses.
Lastly, in Kamptee, BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule outspent Congress candidate Suresh Bhoyar, with reported expenditures of Rs 7,69,088 and Rs 6,19,384 respectively. Bawankule’s expenses align with the SOR, but Bhoyar’s reported spending shows a difference of Rs 1,30,944 from the SOR estimate.
This expenditure data highlights the competitive spending among candidates, with significant variances emerging in some self-reported and tracked expenses across Nagpur’s rural constituencies.
