This is one election where candidates will pay a high price for each vote gained, quite literally.
With the Rajpath club elections round the corner, candidates are leaving no stone unturned in the quest to make it to the club's management committee. And the figures involved in the game are mind-boggling: a staggering Rs2.5 crore, is the amount pooled in by the two opposing panels, to rake in the votes.
A total of 68 candidates are trying their luck for 30 seats in the club's committee. What adds the high-voltage drama is the fact that the propaganda being carried out by the two panels, headed by Paresh Dani and NG Patel respectively, has almost made the elections a prestige issue.
With the elections happening after seven long years, both the panels have spent huge sums of money on advertisements, hoardings and banners, over and above pamphlets and SMSes.
It is believed that Paresh Dani's club panel has put aside a budget of Rs1 crore for the promotions, whereas NG Patel's panel has put aside Rs1.5 crore for taking his message of 'parivartan' across to the voters. Independent candidates are also expected to spend between Rs1 lakh and Rs1.5 lakh each in the election.
However, Paresh Dani, incumbent president of the Rajpath Club and the head of one of the two factions, said that their expenditure, including promotional expenses, will not exceed Rs30 lakh.
"Certain services such as snacks, ice-creams and decoration are being provided by friends, and hence, we need not spend on all these things", he said. Around 9,000 members of the Rajpath Club will caste their votes next Sunday, to elect the management committee. Election offices of both the panels are witnessing a good number of visitors every night, but both the panels are under pressure, said sources close to the development. "The candidates are not confident of who will bring how many votes in his favour," said a member.
Moreover, several people have common friends contesting from both sides, said a member of the club. Sources are hence, of the opinion that none of the two panels will come emerge a full-fledged winner.
