Odisha Caps Student Election Spending at ₹5,000, Bars Political Party Funding

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 5 (UDN): The Odisha Government has capped election expenditure at ₹5,000 per candidate for the upcoming college and university student union elections, while prohibiting candidates from receiving financial support from political parties.

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The rules, issued on Monday, are aimed at ensuring transparency and keeping campus elections within a prescribed spending limit.

Candidates Must Submit Expense Accounts

Under the new guidelines, every candidate will be required to maintain a detailed account of expenses incurred during the election process.

The expenditure statement must be submitted to the concerned college or university authorities within two weeks of the declaration of election results.

Institutions will then publish the submitted expense details on the HIMS Portal within two days of receiving them.

Exceeding Limit May Lead to Cancellation

Candidates have been instructed to strictly adhere to the ₹5,000 expenditure ceiling.

The rules state that exceeding the prescribed limit could result in cancellation of the concerned candidate’s election, making financial compliance a key requirement for contestants.

Political Funding Prohibited

The government has also barred candidates from accepting financial assistance from political parties for campus elections.

While candidates may receive voluntary contributions, the rules restrict them from accepting funds from other sources.

The funding restrictions are aimed at keeping student elections focused on campus issues and preventing direct political financing from influencing the electoral process.

Student Polls Return After Eight Years

The latest guidelines come ahead of the return of student union elections in Odisha after an eight-year gap.

Student elections had remained suspended during the previous BJD government, with campus-related issues and subsequently the COVID-19 pandemic cited among the reasons for the prolonged suspension.

The BJP had promised during its 2024 Assembly election campaign to restore student union elections after coming to power.

With the elections now being revived, the government’s expenditure and funding rules are expected to provide a framework for a more regulated and transparent campus electoral process.