STAR CAMPAIGNERS IN ELECTIONS

STAR CAMPAIGNERS IN ELECTIONS

TOPIC: Polity

Context- The Election Commission of India (ECI) in­structed States to provide “adequate security cover” to star cam­paigners of political parties after Lok Sabha member and AIMIM pre­sident Asaduddin Owaisi was attacked on his way back to Delhi from cam­paigning in western Uttar Pradesh

Concept-

Who is a star campaigner?

• A star campaigner is a celebrity vote seeker in an election for a party.
• This person can be a politician or even a film star.
• There is no law governing who can or cannot be made a star campaigner.
• They are nominated by the concerned political parties specifying their constituencies and duration of the status.

How many star campaigners can be there?

• Since political parties appoint star campaigners, the Election Commission has issued guidelines the Model Code of Conduct regulating poll campaign by them.
• A ‘recognised’ party declared as such by the Election Commission can nominate a maximum of 40 star campaigners.

Why political parties need a star campaigner?

• It has a lot to do with poll expenditure. The Election Commission keeps a tab on expenditure incurred by individual candidates during campaign Rs 70 lakh for most states in one constituency by each candidate.
• Expenditure incurred on electioneering by the star campaigner is not added to a candidate’s poll expenditure giving him/her more leeway.
• According to the Representation of People’s Act, these expenses will be borne by the political parties. But terms and conditions apply.

When PM is the star campaigner?

• The MCC guidelines say when a prime minister or a former prime minister is star campaigner, the expenditure incurred on security including on the bulletproof vehicles will be borne by the government and will not be added to the election expenses of the party or the individual candidate.
• However, if another campaigner travels with the prime minister or a former minister, the individual candidate will have to bear 50 per cent of the expenditure incurred on the security arrangements.